My Favorite of 2017; The Heart of What I Do
My favorite project of 2017 was a simple, easy refresh. But it embodies the reason I do what I do, and the core of the style I am in love with.
It’s a simple, old drawer. It probably began it’s life as a kitchen drawer or was from some old piece of furniture.
My guess is the first re-purposer added the plywood dividers to make the drawer his wife threw out, functional for the workbench he built for himself. This drawer was one of quite a few Mr. Fix-it saved from the workbench. They all had brass bin pulls as handles and had a variety of different dividers. This drawer had the most dividers and I liked it the best!
Each person values something different. The first possessor of this drawer did not want it in her house anymore and relegated it to her husband’s garage. He repurposed it for his use and valued it more for what he could put in it…nuts and bolts and nails.
Mr. Fix-it picked these drawers off of Craig’s List for free, because he valued the contents-the treasure trove of hardware within.
I valued the drawer itself…and the potential it held for many styling possibilities!
I sanded it, scrubbed it, let it dry and gave it a couple coats of poly to bring out the beauty of the old wood’s character. You can see the whole process in “Divided Drawer: From Workbench to Centerpiece”.
And there’s nothing I love to add more to old, character-filled wood than perfectly patinaed metal, along with something fresh. I added a bike pedal from my stash and a new, pretty glass knob in one of my favorite colors. Wood + metal + something fresh = a perfect, vintage refresh! With tons of decorating possibilities!
I first used my newly refreshed drawer horizontally, as my Easter Centerpiece, way back in April. I decoupaged giant styro eggs with vintage feed sack fabrics and placed them in the cubbies, along with some grass and spring flowers.
I love the combination of textures! Old wood, metal, glass, fabric, nature…and the subtle rustic colors with the pops of fresh colors! Just makes me happy;)
Next I used this little drawer for Happy Girl’s outside grad party. It worked perfectly to corral the napkins and plastic silverware and keep them organized without blowing away. It also added some rough texture to the otherwise girly, frouffy decor. You can see how I used other junky, vintage items for the party decor in my post, “Use Vintage Finds and Refreshed Junk as Unique Serving Pieces and Centerpieces”.
And lastly, I used the drawer to create an advent calendar for Christmas {“Advent Calendar, Junker Style”}.
One simple old drawer. So many possibilities.
This past year I’ve been pondering a lot about what I do and why I do it. I came up with a couple words that hopefully covers it all:
Find
Refresh
Style
Storytell
Inspire
These are the words that motivate me to fill this little place on the WWW. And the words that will launch me into a whole new phase of being an entrepreneur this year!
The other mantra that’s been bouncing around in my head is this:
“It’s not about the junk. It’s what you do with it.”
The humble, little divided drawer is a perfect example. It had experienced a long life by the time it came to me. Quite a few had used it and given up on it’s purposefulness. Some would say it was downright ugly and should be burned. Most would not see any value in it.
But as the master creator, I knew it had inherent value and could be brought back to beauty and function. Seeing the potential where others don’t. Taking some simple steps to refresh and restore. Using the recreated piece for a whole new purpose the original owners could never have imagined in their wildest dreams. And sharing these stories with you.
So you can learn, be sentimental, be inspired…and maybe even think a little deeper about life.
This little drawer is at the heart of what I do here…and that’s why it’s my favorite project of 2017! Here’s to a whole new year of creativity in 2018! Thanks for reading, friends!
Sharing at these lovely parties:
All fabulous ideas! Thanks for sharing at TFT!
Thanks, Amber! Will have to join again this week!
That is one great drawer! I love all of the ways you used it! Pinning! Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm!
Thanks for pinning, Cecilia!
First time here, but had to comment. Love the drawer, you captured my thoughts exactly since I adore finding items that show ingenuity, creativity and thrift. It amazes me sometimes what people thoughtlessly discard but I am happy for their castoffs. I have a very dear friend whose husband is a jack of all trades…she is so, so lucky.
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, Susan! I appreciate it so much:) I’m so glad you visited & hope you find some more inspiration!
Yes. Here’s to a year of more creativity!
For all of us, Fonda!