#mama gonna cute that shit up

Sorry for the swears but I had to share this “mama gonna cute that shit up” note left by my friend on a piece of furniture he picked up for me! He found it on the side of the road and knew I’d tackle fixing it up with just a little TLC!

The phrase pretty much sums me up! I’d say it all the time around the shop, “oh, don’t worry I’m going to cute that shit up!” So I laughed when I saw what he wrote and taped to the piece as it sums up my habit of repurposing and saving roadside finds in a nutshell.

sign saying "mama gonna cute that shit up"

I love fixing stuff up that would otherwise go in the trash. It makes me feel like I’m doing my part to save a little bit of our planet.

People get rid of things just because they are a little broken, need a little paint, or they just don’t know what to do with it. It’s such a shame when all it needs is elbow grease and TLC – someone to cute that shit up! I can hardly stop myself from screeching the brakes and swerving over to pick stuff up and save it!

I brake for junk in navy and white vintage truck in background

And since today is Earth Day 2020 I’m going to celebrate the planet today by showcasing some of my best SAVES from the free-furniture-side-of-the-road-kill-piles!

So let’s dive in to some of my favorite finds and upcycles.

OK, so here is the original “Mama gonna cute that shit up” end table off the side of the road.

It was actually raining when he picked it up, so it was damp. The drawers were janky, the edges loose, it was a little stank and stale smelling, there were no knobs. It needed some love.

So, to fix this little messed up side table I cleaned it really well, gave it a good wipe and soak with vinegar, stuffed the drawers full of newspaper and left it for a few days. I then repaired the drawers, just a little wood glue and a few nails. I sanded and sealed it before painting it.

I decided to use my new favorite technique, the vintage book look, read about it here.

Paint Vintage Books on Dresser Drawers

Next up, the sad little rocking horse turned unicorn!

What? How could I leave that little dude without making it into a unicorn? How!? I actually can’t believe I did it, like what was I thinking, it’s kind of heinous? Whatever, a lot of little kids got to ride it at my show and it sold to an adorable little toddler who will be rocking her little unicorn filled heart out!

Old Betty, the sunken-seated vanity chair turned chic little side chair!

This little vanity chair had been sooooo loved that the seat was caving in! It was petite and adorable, but was fully covered in fabric – the front, back, sides and, of course, a skirt. I stripped it all off, repaired the seat, put in new padding and added a beautiful navy blue suede fabric. I left the legs rustic and dinged from the nails and just hemp oiled them. i really love this chair!

The Wretched Church Pews

I am almost reluctant to even include these because I have PTSD from these church pews. Just after this picture was taken – I was dismantling the first pew when disaster struck. I had removed the leg bases and sides and was removing the back from the seat. I had it up on my work table when it unexpectedly gave way and dropped 3 feet, right on top of my foot. OUCH, I can still feel it! My foot started to swell and I had to yank it out of my clog before it got too big. Looooong story short I was in a boot for about 4 weeks and it still hurts 2 years later! But, I mean I did cute that shit up, right? Haha!

I did a few versions of the pew because I had 4 of them. The first one I recovered in a Pendleton Wool dark grey/black fabric, painted all the bits and put some cute pillows on it. They are very comfy because they were spring-loaded seats!

And for 2 of them I ripped the backs off and made new legs so they could be benches in my studio. I really like these ones! With the new legs, they pick up a more rustic vibe which I love!

And one more just for fun! The classic old jank drawer turned into little end table.

Old abandoned dresser drawers are a dime a dozen. They make great little side tables. And I save collect old legs – whatever, don’t judge me! And I thought these were perfect for this drawer. I just painted it, lined it with cute paper and added a new knob. [The picture is from my very first flea markets – but I am getting better with photography and stagi]ng), promise!