Curbside Decor

better known as...

DUMPSTER DIVING!

How to decorate outside? Nope. Not this month! We're talking about TRASH NIGHT! And about
hitting the streets with eyes wide open. This took me awhile to get use to, but became well worth it.
It takes courage, and a bit of humility, neither of which will hurt you! Besides, being TAX TIME,
some economical ways to decorate are in order! If some of you are like me, curbside decor may
be the only way you feel you can decorate for awhile! ~snicker~

Remember, if you would like "one-on-one" personal help with your decorating,
don't forget to go to "Decor Doc Room Solutions" for "individual" help in your decorating projects.
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The idea here is to keep your eyes peeled for anything you might be able to use for conversion into a decorative item. You can train yourself to see with new eyes. Imagine the possibilities!

You can search for things in general, or look for something specific that will fill a decor need. The following is a partial list of things I have picked up and what I turned them into. I sincerely hope this gives you some ideas of your own!
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1) A spindly wooden lamp

2) A metal lamp

3) One long shutter

4) A broken Art Deco mirrored headboard

5) An old dresser

6) A picture frame

7) A section of wooden fencing

8) An old black metal aquarium stand

 

>>>OK, now here is what I did with these things.<<<

The spindly wooden lamp became a floor candle stand. I took the lamp apart, keeping only the base, with its tall, lean shape. It had a hole where the lighting "works" had been. Had it not been there, I would have either drilled out a hole, or screwed a small wood candle holder into the the top of the whole thing. I sanded and crackle painted the entire piece, and with a taper inserted, it looked fabulous beside a fireplace! Even better is a grouping of these things, so I am always looking at lamps with that in mind!

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The metal lamp promptly became a plant stand. I needed one and this was perfect. The scroll work was great and after taking out the electrical stuff, I did a verdi gris finish on it. Then I glued a 12" tile from my local "home store" on top. This particular lamp had a flat top, but if it had not, I could have easily used a piece of wood, drilled to fit the lamp top, and hot glued it on to make the top flat. The tile over top of that would cover the wood block. I used a marble-look dark green tile and still use the piece today. It has been a plant stand, a side table, and a catch-all in a hallway.

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The 5' shutter sat for awhile, until it "spoke" to me! Cut in half and lightly sanded, it became the side pieces for a shabby chic country table. All I needed was a piece of plywood for the top. A scrap from the "home store" did the trick, and was very inexpensive. Plain molding around the edges of the plywood and across the front and back of the table, about in the middle, finished the look and gave it stability. All was sanded and white washed and sanded again to make a great country look. The slatted sides give it its unique appeal!

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The Art Deco headboard was a lovely half moon mirror on a matching half moon lacquered headboard. I purposely left it out in the weather for several weeks. What this did was allow the rain and sun to seep through the wood and cause the mirror to crack into large, interesting pieces. If I had tried to pry the mirror loose from the headboard, I would have had a mass of shards and chipped pieces. Weathering allowed me to obtain the large, angular "puzzle" pieces that became the "water" for a mosiac mural on a backyard potting shed. Use gloves for this! Just a dab of mastic in the center of each piece insures that the glass will not crack further. Regular house paint and tile pieces were used for the main mural, which is a mountain cabin by a lake. The scene is a tranquil one, full of flowers and trees.

Note: if using mirrors in your garden, which are as popular today as they were in the Victorian Era, be sure the sun does not bounce light into your neighbors yard! Not only is this annoying, it can damage a prize plant by concentrating sunlight even an hour or so! Be considerate. Also consider that if you are going to be outside near the "artwork", place it where it does not blind you! Ideally, it should reflect indirect sunlight.

Historical interest note: the Victorians used gazing balls in their own gardens as well as public places. In public gardens, no proper Victorian lady would look directly at someone she did not know. Even at another woman! So she would glance at the gazing ball and check out the other person in this indirect fashion! The style of dress told her if this was someone she might want to meet, in the proper manner, of course!

Wouldn't you love to know how many "love interests" were started in this way? Although it was not proper for a man (horrors!) to do this via a gazing ball, come on now people, we KNOW they checked each other out! A more refined way of doing what we still do in every mall, restaurant, etc., today. <giggle>

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The dresser was the toughest of all. I take along screwdrivers and small tools for this "raid" on trash night just for things like the dresser. This particular foray yielded a neat old dresser that was way too heavy to consider getting into my wagon. And it was too battered to be of any real interest to me. But the hardware was really neat! With a surreptitious glance around, I gritted my teeth and grabbed the screwdrivers. As quickly as possible I removed the drawer pulls, and pried the trim work off the dresser itself. The drawer hardware was for another dresser I was working on and the trim is for yet another project. My husband is very understanding of my quirky collections!

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The picture frame was cut down and reassembled to fit inside a larger picture frame I had. As one frame, well fastened together, it made a spectacular and dramatic frame for a client. Gold leaf and her colors were applied for a one of a kind look. You can also pick up very inexpensive frames at Goodwill or Salvation Army Stores. Believe it or not, I once found a limited edition, signed and numbered print while hunting for a frame I needed! Keep those eyes open!

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The wooden fence section was a fun project. The client wanted a "something" to define the entrance to a "secret" garden behind a hedged section of her yard. I adore "secret" gardens that beckon you to peek beyond what is obvious to the hidden treasures within. It was easy to come up with this solution! I dug postholes for two fenceposts. Men are helpful here! One post on either end of her hedges. Then I inspected the fence section for termites and cut the best part down to fit as a gate between the posts. Hardware to match the "feel" of her garden and we were in business. A neat, working gate that bade you to walk through and see the hidden garden behind the bushes! If it had been mine, I would have finished the whole thing with an arbor curving overhead, covered in some fast growing vining plant with flowers. But the owner wanted to stop at just the gate and it looked fine.

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The final project presented here is the black metal aquarium stand. Four 12" tiles, a tile cutter, and some construction adhesive was all I needed. Two tiles were glued to make the top. The bottom shelf required cutting the tiles to fit. Not hard with an inexpensive tile cutter. Instant two shelf unit. This piece is mine and has been a hall table, a plant stand, and now is in my kitchen holding a bread maker, convection oven, and some large candles. Being metal it takes the heat generated by the appliances. It is one of those pieces that could go anywhere in the house and look good as well as be useful.

Always think about this...in some places, taking something from someone's trash or going through a dumpster, is illegal. Please check local ordinances before you take a chance. And, another thing to keep in mind...sometimes you may find people with "not so nice" intentions hanging around dumpsters. All I am saying is...always be careful!
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The whole point here, is to keep your creativity flowing. Check out things on "trash night"... look over the junk in the thrift stores, and watch for yard and estate sales. Think in terms of what you can turn these odd items into! The more you experiment, the easier and more creative it becomes.
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If you need something in particular, such as a plant stand or candle holders, go looking with that in mind. But if you spot something interesting, grab it! It just may come in handy!
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Your nearest "home store" is full of helpful people who will give you advice on the "how to" of any project.
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Here's a WONDERFUL forum on Dumpster Diving. Click here