How to Build Furniture Out of Used Stuff

Repurposing used items into furniture for your home or office is an eco-friendly and creative way to decorate. Finding used stuff at your local thrift stores, yard sales or even on the side of the road and transforming it into usable furniture is easier than you think. Turn an old door into a dining room table filled with character or create a coffee table from an old window by adding decorative legs you can find at your local home improvement store. Follow the steps below to make a credenza for your flat-screen TV from a used dresser that has seen better days. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Remove the mirror from the back of the dresser by loosening and removing the screws from the two metal bars that attach the pieces together. Remove the metal strips from the back of the mirror and hang it in a hallway, living room or bedroom.

2

Remove the hardware from the dresser drawers. Clean the metal using a paste of vinegar and baking soda, or use lemon oil or Murphy's oil soap and a soft cloth. Alternatively, you can scuff them with sandpaper and spray paint them with for a fresh look. Use spray paint designed for metal surfaces.

3

Remove the drawers and sand the surface of the wood on the dresser and the drawer fronts with light-grade sandpaper. You only need to scuff the surface so that the new finish will adhere to it. If your dresser is stained, you can paint or stain over it. If your dresser is painted, you can only paint over it, unless you strip off the old paint down to the bare wood.

4

Apply the stain or primer coat to the exposed wood and allow it to dry. Apply a second coat of stain or the first coat of paint and let it dry. Reattach the hardware to the drawer fronts and insert them back into the dresser.

5

Place your flat-screen TV on your new credenza.