Guest post written by Paul Moore from Woodwork Boss.
Paul has collected several different ideas from around the web for how to repurpose furniture that has been broken/worn out instead of just throwing it away. We are always excited to see new ideas for living frugally!
Before you throw away an old favorite chair or a worn wood desk, think about how you can repurpose it. You can transform some items without tools. Others require a little work. Instead of tossing out a broken piece, you can make multiple items out of one.
Tools
Every project differs, but keep a simple set of tools on hand. You’ll be able to complete most projects with the following:
- hammer
- nails, 3″ and 1″
- a miter saw
- miter box
- a hand saw
- glue gun
- screwdriver with interchangeable heads
- a set of various sized screwdriver heads (a.k.a bits)
- monkey wrench
- pliers
- a hand sander
- sand paper of various grades/roughness
- paint trays
- paint brushes of various sizes
- sponges
- paint thinner
- wood screws, 1″ and 3″
- caulk gun
- ruler
- tape measure
- Exacto knife
Having a kit or tool box on hand lets you immediately tackle any job or experiment with any idea. In fact, putting together your basic toolbox should be the first step whenever you start with a DIY project.
Ideas and Tips for How to Repurpose Worn or Broken Furniture
Just about any piece of old furniture can become a new piece of furniture. Even if you only have an incomplete or broken item, you can repurpose it into a new item.
Photo from Simply Country Life. (Here’s the tutorial.)
Chairs
A chair with a broken seat (or no seat) transforms into a planter when you insert a planter tray or pot. A chair back can become a photo frame, a mirror frame, a hanging photo or memo display.
Bookshelves
Repaint or stain an old bookshelf for a new look. Use it as a china display stand, to feature curios or as a bar. Use the top shelves to display glassware and the taller lower shelves for alcohol storage.
Side Tables
Sturdy side tables become perfect bar stools with a coat of paint to match the decor and topped with a tie on or fitted cushion.
Vintage Chest
Strip and sand a vintage chest, then paint or stain it to match the decor of its new room. In the kitchen, it works great as an island, providing ample storage for pots and pans. In the living room, it transforms into a coffee table with book or game storage. And, in a bedroom, it makes a roomy dresser.
Dresser
An old dresser becomes a great tiered planter, especially for trays of starter plants. Provide character for a corner of the yard and keep the plants out of pet and wildlife reach.
Remove the drawers, slide in or nail in quarter- or half-inch thick boards, cut to fit. Stain them to match or repaint the whole thing. You have a new bookcase, perfectly sized for paperbacks or standard hardcovers.
Here’s an example of a dresser turned into a planter for herbs.
Secretary Desk
Paint it to match the decor in your bathroom and use this roomy desk as a linen closet. Display your best openly. Tuck away the everyday use items in the drawers.
Doors
Photo from House Beautiful.
Take an old door off its hinges and watch it transform into almost anything. It makes a commanding headboard. Lay it across two equal height long stools or attach four legs from two broken chairs or a broken table. You have a massive desk or a new dining table. Either way, it will make a conversation starter.
Use brackets to attach two together, then to attach the finished product to a wall. You have a room divider. If the doors have panes of glass in them or small window panes, use this option on one end of the patio to provide shade, block wind and divide the patio from the yard for a bit of privacy.
Random Pieces
Don’t despair if a favorite chair or table breaks. Salvage what you can – the chair back or seat or legs or tabletop. The same applies to stools, side tables, dressers, etc. Join the legs from one piece with the top from another, then strip it and repaint or stain all the pieces to match. Your favorite piece gains new life.
Repurposing furniture gives your best-loved items new life and saves you money. You won’t need that new baker’s rack plant stand if you convert your old dresser. Plus, you’ll clear some clutter from your home. Use the ideas for a jumping off point. Your imagination provides the best ideas for your home.
It sure got me when you said that bookshelves can always be repainted and used as a displace case for ceramics and other decors with a few fixes. I would love to do that though I cannot do the repairs or the restoration myself, so I think I will hire a professional for me. Though if there is a way they can bring it back to its former glory, I would really appreciate it since I have tons of books.