Three people shared their 'trash to treasure' DIY projects — and the sense of accomplishment that resulted
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For many DYI enthusiasts, weekends may be the days for working on household projects to create the home of their dreams — while others dip in any day of the week.
Yard sales, antique shop offerings, estate sales or even neighborhood lane giveaways often occur throughout the week as people find items that can be repurposed, revived and reconditioned to create lovely home furnishings.
Once these items are "rescued," many aspiring DYI lovers transform them into brand-new home décor for themselves or others.
Summer, in its waning days, is often a good time to do this — though plenty of people work on passion projects all year long.
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Here are three stories about how some sharp eyes and a bit of hard work resulted in some cherished home furnishings.
From thrift shop to guest bedroom: ‘Compelling transformation’
Maria Velniceriu, who lives in Washington, D.C., and blogs at MissMV (missmv.com) on topics including food, interior design and crafts, transformed a tired wood dresser to create an impressive piece of furniture in her home.
Velniceriu’s eye for design helped her rescue a thrift-store dresser in a sad state — and transform it into a well-crafted functional treasure.
The dresser on the left has been transformed — and it now has a new mirror attached to it as well. The DIY enthusiast who worked on this, Maria Velniceriu of Washington, D.C., said she spent around $100 for materials, including sandpaper, knobs and stain. (Maria Velniceriu )
"The dresser was in poor condition, with chipped paint, broken knobs, and water damage on the top; however, I saw its potential and knew that with some time and effort it could be transformed into a beautiful statement piece," she said.
To begin, she sanded down the entire dresser to remove chipped paint and smoothed out any imperfections.
"Then, I gave it a fresh coat of pain in a trendy, neutral color," she said.
"With a little creativity and effort, even the most worn-out piece of furniture can be transformed into a stunning and functional addition to any home."
She added, "Next I replaced the broken knobs with unique and stylish ones that I found at a vintage hardware store."
And finally, she said, "I restored the damaged top by sanding it down and applying a new stain — giving the dresser a gorgeous polished look."
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In total, Velniceriu said this project took her about 15 hours to complete over the course of a week.
She said she spent around $100 for materials, which included sandpaper, knobs and stain.
"This transformation is compelling because it shows that with a little creativity and effort, even the most worn-out piece of furniture can be transformed into a stunning and functional addition to any home," Velniceriu told Fox News Digital.
From curbside object to charity donation: ‘Very fulfilling’
Aimee Taylor, who runs a marketing agency, Market Alignment (marketalignment.com) and lives in Ashburn, Virginia, said she also enjoys DIY projects.
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Taylor picked up a small table off the street before the trash truck could grab it — and she had a vision of giving it a second life.
"Structurally, there was nothing wrong," Taylor told Fox News Digital.
"Structurally, there was nothing wrong" with this small table, said Aimee Taylor of Virginia, who found the item on the street before the trash collectors could get it. (Aimee Taylor)
She first sanded the table, then coated it with paint and applied a top coat.
"For this particular product, I spent nothing. I had the sandpaper, I picked up the paint for free off Facebook Marketplace and I had a replacement knob from a previous project," Taylor said.
"It took me little time and I spent no money."
The inspiring part of this story is that Taylor donated the upgraded table to charity when she was finished.
"They sold it for $45," Taylor said. "So what could have taken up space in a landfill now adds funds to a nonprofit's accounts. It took me little time and I spent no money," she said.
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"Plus — it was very fulfilling for me!" she added.
From neighborhood clean-up to cornerstone furnishing: ‘Hints of former glory’
Jennifer Knopf, an editorial director at healthyhappyimpactful.com, which focuses on self-care for women and families, blended her affinity for mindfulness and her flair for home décor to change an armchair from trash to a treasure.
"I saw a discarded vintage armchair during a neighborhood cleanup a few years back," shared Knopf, who lives in Kansas City, Kansas.
This "once grand piece of furniture" had gotten "faded and frayed" until Jennifer Knopf of Kansas gave it a new lease of life. (Jennifer Knopf)
"This once grand piece of furniture was now faded and frayed, with its woodwork marred by the passage of time. However, rather than viewing it as rubbish, I saw potential - a forgotten treasure waiting to be revived."
With paintbrush and fabric swatches, she set upon the task of giving this chair a new lease on life. Knopf chronicled how she stripped down the old fabric and sanded the woodwork to reveal its natural grain.
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"The once dull and damaged wood began showing hints of its former glory, which was genuinely rewarding," Knopf told Fox News Digital.
"It was about taking something discarded and forgotten and turning it into something beautiful and functional again."
"Then, I reupholstered it with a vibrant floral print that spoke to its character and finished off the wood with a warm walnut stain."
She explained that the restoration project took about two weeks, and she squeezed the work in around her regular schedule.
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"In terms of monetary investment, I spent around $100 on materials, such as paint, fabric and sandpaper," said Knopf.
But "the real cost, and arguably the real value, was in the time and effort spent breathing new life into an old, discarded piece of furniture," added Knopf.
When she placed the restored armchair in her own living room, her sense of accomplishment was overwhelming, Knopf said.
"It wasn't just about having a new piece of furniture; it was about taking something discarded and forgotten and turning it into something beautiful and functional once again," she said.
Erica Lamberg is a contributing reporter for Fox News Digital.
