Tool Box Turned Guest Room Basket

The other day my mom handed me this old took box. I'm not sure what she had in mind for it originally but I knew I could turn it into something fun and revamped. 

Apparently David loved his little box so much he decorated it with business slogans like "be happy with my fixing" although they were cute they didn't match what I had in mind

So I sanded it down and removed most of the red paint

 And added some black chalk paint- which was actually purchased (for another project) on accident thinking it was "chalk board paint". Needless to say it works about the same as chalkboard paint.

"Guests" was hand written with a white chalk marker

Add some guest necessities- tooth brushes, soaps, reading material and my favorite part- the hand bound guestbook I made last year. 

The final product :) I can't wait for visitors to use all the goodies!

Teacher's Chair

I've been on the hunt for a teacher's chair or stool for practically this whole summer. I've searched pinterest many times to find the perfect size, shape and material. My main inspiration came from this blog. She did a great job of showing all the different ways to make an awesome teacher's chair.

So here's how I made mine:

I bought this chair for $10 at goodwill. I've seen others like it but picked it because it was slightly raised but not too high, very sturdy (I wiggled around and moved it in all directions to be sure) and wasn't completely hideous!

After I planned how I wanted to paint it I picked up 2 cans of Valspar Spray Paint and a chair pad that *matched* (not perfectly)

I sanded the places that I wanted to paint, wiped down with a wet cloth and started the taping. This was the most tedious part of the process but I promise it's well worth it! I used trash bags to cover the parts that I didn't want to get sprayed. Keep in mind that spray paint gets EVERYWHERE, its fine mist is like a sneeze, just waiting for something to cling to. (Not excited about being sick for the first couple months of school, but mentally preparing)

After the sanding comes the spraying- the best part! I used several coats in a sweeping motion. It took about 10 minutes to spray all the surfaces.

I liked the painted back and legs but knew it needed more "oomph". All the other chairs I saw for inspiration with quotes and words and names on them were super cute but I wanted something a little more simple to match my theme.

So I came up with these little additions:

The pom back decoration is twine wrapped around and tied, with ripped fabric pieces that are just looped around it. I sewed a cover for the pad that I bought so that it would match :) And.. I painted "explore" at the top to incorporate my theme of traveling. Ta-dah! I'm so excited to see it in my room!

Revamping

Ever passed something on the side of the road or in a "free" pile that you just weren't sure what to do with it?

I'm sure we've all come across this at some point, but, what do you do?

I usually pick it up. But before I do I make sure I check it out- sometimes one mans trash is another mans trouble.
1. Is it obviously broken beyond repair?
2. Do I see any potential reuse/recycle options on the spot?
3. Is it a reliable material? Cardboard- not usually, wood-most of the time, metal- as long as it isn't rusted through.

After I've gone through my little check list in my mind I pick it up or leave it be!

I've been holding onto this lovely metal bin for about a month now:

I couldn't figure out what I was going to do with it!




Today I realized I've been collecting tons of props (mostly given to me for free) And I knew exactly the spot for them! So I warmed up my laminator and made a label for my new "Story Props" bin. Now my students will have some help when crafting stories and telling them!

Reader's Theater will never be the same!