Plain glass jars, an abandoned door, a rickety ladder, or stray drawer. These aren’t items most people would envision as beautiful gifts. But we aren’t most people. We like creating unique, one-of-a-kind gifts that add beauty to a space in our homes instead of landfills.
Hi, it’s Colleen from Just Paint It, back with 35 Upcycled DIY Gift Ideas. This collection is guaranteed to spark your creativity to repurpose ordinary items into extraordinary gifts!
Rustic Chalkboard Wall Organizer
Today’s Rockstar is one of the bloggers that I aspired to be when I started blogging. This gal truly paved the way for DIY Bloggers. Gail is here to show us how to make a headboard bench. Watch closely as she deftly converts an old headboard into a cozy entryway bench.
Gail is the rockstar behind the wildly famous My Repurposed Life! She has the ability to see beyond the ugly junk and trashed items on the curb. She has a way of seeing the beauty in all of it!
I hear the sounds of hammering, Gail is ready to take the stage! Give it up for this rockstar!
Hi there Pretty Handy Girl readers. I am so happy to be here, because I’m a huge fan of Brittany. I’ve followed her blog for a long, long, time.
I’m Gail from My Repurposed Life. If you don’t know me, the blog name sort of gives it away. I mostly blog about repurposing items; saving them from the landfill; and giving them a new purpose in life. Many people who find me through Google, do so by looking for headboard benches. It’s pretty much what I’m known for. Today, I’m going to share one of my all-time favorite headboard benches with you.
A supply and tool list is at the bottom for your reference.
I got two sets of these bunk beds for a steal at a thrift store. They’re not typical of the headboards I normally pick up—I prefer larger headboards.
You can see the piece in the back is slightly larger than the one in the front. That identifies it as the headboard.
You can see the headboard is in tact, but the foot board was cut on the miter saw right above the brace, leaving the top half of the foot board for another project. At this point you decide how deep you want the seat of your bench to be.
I used scrap 1×4’s for the side that connects the headboard to the foot board. All of my boards are secured using a Kreg Jig and pocket hole screws.
See how easy? the bench is already formed with a few simple steps, you could stop right here and add a seat. However, I knew I wanted to do a little something extra for this petite bench. Read more
Today’s project is so easy, I named it the Easy Clipboard Stand (catchy name, no?) This is a great way to upcycle an old clipboard and a scrap 2×4. This clipboard stand is super versatile. It can be used as a traditional stand for announcements; a copy stand; a recipe holder; an art frame or anything you need to bring attention to. Plus, if you use a dark chalk paint color, it can be used as a chalkboard sign. Bonus.
Materials:
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Tools:
Instructions:
Cut the 2×4 scrap to the same width as the clipboard. Set your table saw blade approximately 2/3 height of the 2×4 block. Angle the blade to 15 degrees. Carefully slide the block over the blade. You’ll notice I use a GRR-Ripper Push Block to keep my hands away from the blade. (If you own a table saw, you need one of these!)
The 2×4 should look like the photo below. Read more
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:
Instructions: Read more
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:
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
