THIS IS WHAT WE FOUND!

A few weeks ago, I was at an auction. They didn't have a lot that I wanted to purchase, but I did spy a couple of trunks. They were in pretty bad shape, the lids were not attached, they were kind of a mess. I was only going to purchase one that was in less worse shape than the other, but I ended up with both. This post is about how I upcycled one of the trunks. This is the first trunk. I don't know if you can tell, but part of the back of the trunk is not attached to the trunk. It was laying off to the side. I had to repair that for one of the projects. I thought about restoring the trunk, but hump-back trunks are difficult to sell so I decided to up-cycle the trunk into some wall decor. I have done that with some other trunks in the past. You can see those projects here and here, and I almost forgot about this one. On a side note, my brother restores trunks and he did a guest post about a trunk he restored to showcase his military service. You can find that here. For this project, you will need: • Ruler/Measuring Tape • Pencil • Circular Saw/Power Drill: I use the Black & Decker Matrix System • Assorted Wood Screws • Assortment of Sandpaper • Varathane Polyurethane: I use the satin finish. • Brushes to apply the polyurethane • Assortment of Coat Hooks: I purchased the ones used in this project at Hobby Lobby (make sure to catch the 50% off sales). • French Cleats: For hanging on the wall I wanted to cut down the base of the trunk to use the front and back for wall decor. The depth was about 3 inches. It varied on each side because I wanted to avoid metal straps and existing nails, etc. I used a circular saw to make the cuts. The photo above shows the front portion of the trunk after it has been cut down. I sanded the rough edges and any of the flat areas that were rough. I used the scrap from the bottom of the trunk to cut a piece to fill the gap (where the trunk was open for storage). This is not a critical step, you could leave it open, but I like to have a small shelf on the top end so you can add small pieces of decor. I also cut a piece (approx 4") for the back. This is where I will add a French cleat to hang on the wall. I did this with both the front and back portions of the trunk. I didn't have enough wood from the bottom of the trunk to do this so I used a piece of MDF. I used small nails to attach to the trunk. Finishing the Front of the Trunk There were some screws missing on the metal straps on the trunk. I secured them with wood screws. I use acrylic paint to make the screw blend with the old metal. I coated the entire piece (wood and metal) with Varathane Crystal Clear Polyurethane in the Satin finish. These hooks from Hobby Lobby matched the existing metal on the trunk pretty well. I decided to use three for the front of the trunk. I measured and marked the placement for each one and drilled the holes. I used a screw and a nut to bolt each one on the trunk. I like to use a screw with a bolt to secure the hook because I feel if you actually hand a coat on the hook, it would be less likely to pull the hook off if it bolted down rather than just screwed in with no bolt. Again, I used the acrylic paint (Folk Art Brush Metal in Brushed Black) to make the new screw match the color of the hook. It actually makes the screw blend right in. I added a French cleat (18 inch) to the back (and to the wall) to be able to hang this piece securely. Finishing the back section of the trunk I coated the entire piece (wood and metal) with Varathane Crystal Clear Polyurethane in the Satin finish. I chose these hooks from Hobby Lobby again, because they matched the existing metal on the trunk pretty well. I decided to use three for the front of the trunk. I measured and marked the placement for each one and drilled the holes. I used a screw and a nut to bolt each one on the trunk. I used the Folk Art Brushed Metal (Brushed Black) to paint the screws to match the metal hook. I added a French cleat (18 inch) to the back (and to the wall) to be able to hang this piece securely. Finishing the Top of the Trunk The top of the trunk is the third piece of the puzzle here. It needed a little less construction. I used a scrap piece of wood to add a back to the top of the trunk. I don't have step by step photos for this one. I coated the entire piece (wood and metal) with Varathane Crystal Clear Polyurethane in the Satin finish. I chose hooks that look like silverware for this piece. I added a French cleat (18 inch) to the back (and to the wall) to be able to hang this piece securely. The Finished Pieces This is the front portion of the trunk. The wood I added at the top makes a nice shelf for small knick-knacks. The hooks look like they have always been there. This is the back portion of the trunk. Again, the wood added to the top lends itself to accommodating additional decor. This is the top of the trunk. Since this was a hump-back trunk, it curves outward a bit. So go ahead, pick up that trunk that is falling apart. It can have a new life again—in this case, three new lives! Thank you for reading my blog! If you would like to see more, follow me on Facebook, Instagram,and Pinterest! Just click on any of the social media links above! Thanks for following me on the junking adventures! Below are some links to products I used in this project. Disclaimer: Junk is My Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Below is an image to pin to Pinterest if you would like to save this idea!

We are solidly into Spring here in Northern Indiana. We have had some beautiful days, plenty of rain and blooms are popping up all over! Hope you all are experiencing the same! I picked up this wall decor piece at an estate sale. It is a wooden background with a half wooden bowl attached. It had really sad old fake flowers and greenery in it. And it was covered in dust. UGH. It really needed a makeover. The greenery and flowers didn't even make it to the car at the estate sale. I ditched them in a trash can. They were stuck into flower foam—if you are a junker, you have seen it—really old flower foam that just disintegrates if you look at it sideways. It had been glued into the bowl so I did have to scrape out the old glue. It was one of those days that I didn't take a lot of photos so I have very few in this post. This project required just a few items: Krud Kutter: Krud Kutter is great for cleaning up old items, particularly if they are dirty, dusty or have been in a home where people smoked (as was the case with this item). Cotton Rags: You may have rags laying around your home, but if you do lots of projects, like I do, you ran out of rags a long time ago. These come in really handy. Rustoleum Highland Blue Milk Paint: I love this color of milk paint and use it often! Paint brushes Varathane Polyurethane Crystal Clear Satin Finish Foam brushes Sand paper (variety of grits) I used Krud Kutter to clean the piece. This had been from a home where the person smoked so it had a layer of smoke film as well as the dirt. UGH. As soon as it dried, I painted the piece with two coats of Rustoleum Milk Paint in the Highland Blue color. I used various grits of sandpaper to heavily distress this piece all over. Then I sealed it with Varathane Crystal Clear polyurethane in the satin finish. For Spring, I styled this with a little Spanish moss and some blue speckled eggs (which matched the piece perfectly!). This piece can be multi-seasonal. It would look great with some daisies for spring, starfish for summer, sunflowers for late summer and some fall foliage and pumpkins to wrap up the year! Thank you for reading my blog! If you would like to see more, follow me on Facebook, Instagram,and Pinterest! Just click on any of the social media links above! Thanks for following me on the junking adventures! Below are some links to products I used in this project. Disclaimer: Junk is My Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Below is an image to pin to Pinterest if you would like to save this idea!

This poor desk. She had certainly seen better days. She was beaten up and battered, and spattered with paint for that matter. She was sitting out in the February winter in Northern Indiana when I found her. Time to scoop her up and bring her in for a makeover. For the most part, this table was pretty sturdy. It had great some great details. You can almost see the design on the drawer pull. Scroll down to see how neat it is! On the back side of the desk it was missing the corner detail where the legs meet the base. I wish I could have kept it, but to make it look balanced, I removed the remaining one. It came off really easily when I pried it apart with a scraper. It really improved the overall look. The front of the desk had the same issue. One of the sides was missing the corbel detail. I wish I could have brought the one from the back and attached it to the other side, but although it was the same design, it was the wrong side. Both had the right side missing and obviously the left side wouldn't have worked on the front. Again, it came off really easily. The drawer practically fell apart when I pulled it out. Fortunately it just needed to be re-glued. I added the glue and applied the wood clamps and let it dry for a couple of days. I began to assemble the items I needed for this project. Wood Clamps—I used them on this project to re-glue the drawer. Wood Glue Variety of grit sandpaper Rustoleum Milk Paint—I used the Eclipse color Varathane Crystal Clear Polyurethane Paint brushes Rub'nBuff I knew I was going to paint the base, but I was hoping to sand the top and just stain it. Unfortunately it was gouged in several places and had holes in three or four places. I even removed a screw from one of the holes. I don't know what was attached to the top and the holes were in the most random places. I used wood filler to repair the top. After it dried for a couple of days, I sanded it smooth. I gave the piece two coats of the Rustoleum Milk Paint in the Eclipse color. I painted the top and the drawer as well. After the paint has dried for 24 hours (it was actually about a week before I got back to it), I used 60 grit sandpaper to really rough up the paint and heavily distress the piece. I wiped it down with a damp cloth to get rid of the dust. I sealed the piece with the Varathane Crystal Clear polyurethane in the satin finish. I thought about putting a different pull on the drawer, but the detail of this piece intrigued me. I wanted to see if I could bring it back. I used a wire brush on the backplate and it was really effective on the plate. The pull needed a little more help so I used Rub'nBuff to make it match the backplate. I am glad I kept the original pull. I like the shine juxtaposed with the distressed black paint. I really love how it turned out! I don't even mind that I had to paint the top of the desk. The damage and roughness of the desk is actually enhanced by the distressed paint. And the brass drawer pull just adds a little something—don'tcha think? Thank you for reading my blog! If you would like to see more, follow me on Facebook, Instagram,and Pinterest! Just click on any of the social media links above! Thanks for following me on the junking adventures! Below are some links to products I used in this project. Disclaimer: Junk is My Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Below is an image to save to Pinterest!

Estate sales are a great place to find treasures to make over. There are often things the family has had for 20, 30, 40 or more years. Functionally, there is nothing wrong with these pieces. They often just need a little love. These vintage mini mirrors were unsold at an estate sale by the end of the day. I thought maybe I could make them cute and a little more modern so I added them to my pile of purchases. They remind me of Cogsworth from one of my favorite Disney movies—Beauty and the Beast! Can you see it? I decided to paint the mirrors. Materials needed for this project: Screwdriver—Phillips Rustoleum Milk Paint—I used the Highland Blue color Varathane Crystal Clear Polyurethane in the satin finish Sandpaper—I used the 60 grit to distress the piece. Paint Brushes Krud Kutter—or a similar cleaner The back was screwed on holding the mirror in place. I removed the back and the mirror to prep for painting. I always keep the screws in a small container to keep them together for reassembling. I make a label with painters tape to write the name of the project since I often have multiple projects in the hopper at one time. These are made of plastic. They definitely needed cleaning. The came out of a home that had smokers in the house. I used Krud Kutter to clean these. There was film of cigarette smoke that came off easily. I painted them with two coats of Rustoleum Highland Blue Milk Paint. I distressed the frames with a 60 grit sandpaper. Then I used the polyurethane to seal the paint. After it dried, I reassembled the mirrors and they were finished!. This was a really easy project. I think these would look great in a sunroom or a bathroom. They would also look great on a porch with a vignette of spring decor. Thank you for reading my blog! If you would like to see more, follow me on Facebook, Instagram,and Pinterest! Just click on any of the social media links above! Thanks for following me on the junking adventures! Below are some links to products I used in this project. Disclaimer: Junk is My Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Below is an image to pin to Pinterest if you would like to save this idea!

My workshop is in a gated area with rows of storage condominiums. Each one is owned by someone and it operates with a HOA type situation. My workshop is huge—these storage condos were built to house boats and RVs for storage. It's heated and has electricity. It's the perfect place to work on my projects. It's also like a neighborhood. There are a lot of people that own units that spend time out there working on various projects whether it be a classic car, woodworking or restoring old wooden doors (which my neighboring unit owner does—and they are amazing!). One of these wonderful "neighbors" stopped by one day to introduce himself. He had heard that I work on furniture. He had a piece with him that he and his wife had purchased when they were first married. It was a small solid wood end table. He was so sweet and insisted that I take it and do something with it. He was so sweet, how could I refuse? This is it. It's just a really solid wooden table. It was clear it had been in storage for a while, but it didn't need to be re-glued or fixed in any way. It was rock solid. I decided to sand and re-stain the top and paint the bottom with milk paint. Materials Used for This Project Rustoleum Milk Paint: I used the Eclipse color for this project. Sandpaper: I used 60 grit sandpaper to distress the milk paint and various grits to sand the top. Paint Brush Polyurethane to Seal the Paint: I used the Varathane Crystal Clear Satin finish. Wood Stain: I used the Varathane Early American. Krud Kutter: This works great to clean pieces—particularly when they have layers of dust and dirt. Painter's Tape: I like the green Frog tape. I used various grits of sandpaper to remove the old finish off of the top. Once it was silky smooth, I applied a coat of the Varathane Early American stain. When that had dried, I taped off the top with Frog painter's tape. I painted the base with Rustoleum Milk Paint in the Eclipse color. Most of the time, this covers in one coat. I did add a second coat just to cover a few areas where the wood was still peeking through. When the paint was dry, I used the 60 grit sandpaper to distress the piece. The shape of the legs of this lends itself well to distressing. I sealed the paint with Varathane Crystal Clear polyurethane in the satin finish. I really feel this could be used as a table or a small bench. It would be perfect in a foyer to sit and put on or take off your shoes. The top looks weathered and with the base being distressed, it is perfectly imperfect! I put this in my booth in Bourbon at The Standard and it has found a home! Thank you for reading my blog! If you would like to see more, follow me on Facebook, Instagram,and Pinterest! Just click on any of the social media links above! Thanks for following me on the junking adventures! Below are some links to products I used in this project. Disclaimer: Junk is My Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Below is an image to pin to Pinterest if you would like to save this idea!

I think if you are of a certain age, you probably had this footstool in your home at some point. At the very least, your grandparents had one. You know the feeling of the fabric—rough, scratchy, super uncomfortable. I found this footstool at an estate sale. I was able to buy it for a mere $5. The fabric was faded and discolored from where it sat in the home. A puff of dust would escape if you patted the fabric. I knew it would take a bit of work, but for $5, I knew I could give it a makeover and still make a bit of a profit. For this project, I gathered a few supplies: Staple remover/Tack Lifter: I have three different ones that I use. I often root through tools at garage sales and auctions and will add to my stash if I find a good one! Staple gun: You can use a manual staple gun or an electric. If you want to get really fancy, you can invest in a pneumatic staple gun. I use an electric staple gun and it works great! Fabric scissors: Most upholstery fabric is heavy so you will need heavy duty scissors—remember to only use them for fabric! Be sure to have another pair for other purposes. Tape measure: You will need this to measure your furniture piece and then to measure your fabric. Needle nose pliers: I use these to pry out any stubborn staples or tacks that refuse to come out of your furniture piece. I like to remove all traces of the old staples and tacks. There is nothing worse than hitting an old staple or tack with your staple gun when trying to place a fresh staple. Upholstery foam: There are various types of foam as well as various densities of foam. You can buy it by the piece or in a roll. For footstools, I usually use a 1 inch foam. Cotton batting: This isn't a necessity, but I like to put it between the foam and the fabric. I think it is useful to ensure a smooth finish. Upholstery fabric: I use a actual upholstery fabric or a duck fabric. Thin cotton can work in some instances, but a heavier fabric is easier to manage. I used my staple remover to begin removing the fabric on this piece. The dust ruffle around the bottom meant there was additional layers of fabric. Fortunately, there was only one layer of fabric on this piece. It was the original fabric—sometimes I find three or four layers of fabric on a piece. Once the fabric was removed, the springs were exposed. These were affixed to the wood base. I removed all the metal pieces attaching the springs. I opted to not reuse the springs. If I were to reuse these, I would have selected a thicker foam piece so they wouldn't have poked through. These were rusty and the fabric around them was pretty dusty. Lifting the springs revealed just how much dust was lurking in the piece. In addition to the dust held by the fabric and foam, this layer of grime was hiding under the springs. Ugh! That is a lot of dirt! I used a whisk broom to remove all the dirt and dust. Then I cleaned the wood with Krud Cutter. I removed the legs while I was upholstering the base. I layered the upholstery fabric, the foam and the cotton batting. I put one staple in the center of each side ensure the fabric was aligned on the piece perfectly. Then I worked my way out to the corners, continuously turning the piece until the entire fabric was secure. I finished the corners and removed the excess fabric. I toyed with the idea of painting the legs black, but they were in great shape so I cleaned them well and reattached them to the base. This is the finished piece. It is radically different than the original. I decided I didn't need the height of the footstool nor did I want to add a new dust ruffle. It just didn't need it! Thank you for reading my blog! If you would like to see more, follow me on Facebook, Instagram,and Pinterest! Just click on any of the social media links above! Thanks for following me on the junking adventures! Below are some links to products I used in this project. Disclaimer: Junk is My Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Below is an image to pin to Pinterest if you would like to save this idea!

Occasionally I go through my inventory in my booths and see what is selling and what is not. The trends change so quickly, sometimes my inventory overstays its welcome and I need to move it out or find a way to make it desirable. One category that hasn't been moving at all has been handkerchiefs. As pretty as they are, no one is really buying them. I had a bunch of them in a couple of my booths. The most they sell for is $5 and that is only if it is really special. A lot of them are in the $1 to $3 range. And they weren't even selling at that price. I took them out of my booths and was going to donate them all to a thrift store, and then I looked at Pinterest and saw handkerchief buntings! I thought I could figure out how to make them and see if they would sell. I selected four handkerchiefs that were a similar color palette. I ironed them all so they were flat as a pancake. Some handkerchiefs have a specific design in only one corner. I use only half of that one and that becomes my center handkerchief. Side note: I love my wool ironing pad. It really helps the fabric get a smooth finish. I cut each one on the diagonal. I put my cutting guide so it goes edge to edge on the corners. I use my cutting wheel to slice it along the edge of the cutting guide. Using the iron again, I fold over the handkerchiefs as shown in the photo above. I ensure the edge is aligned at the top. After they are all cut, folded and ironed, I find the right bias tape to string them on. The other thing needed is bias tape. You can buy it pre-folded or make your own. I pick up boxes of bias tape and other trim all the time at auctions and garage sales. I selected a royal blue color for this bunting and cut a 72" length. I folded it in half (lenghtwise) and ironed it. I use my sewing clips to hold the handkerchiefs in place ensuring the entire edge is captured. I use seven of the half pieces. The center one is the oddball design. Then I put matching halves on either side so it is symmetrical. I use a basic topstich to attach the bias tape to the handkerchiefs. I use white thread for all of them. The contrast looks nice and when you are making several of these at one time, you don't have to constantly switch out matching thread. And these are the finished buntings. I made a bunch of them in various colors. I put them in my booths and have sold a TON of them! And I am able to sell them for much more than the just the handkerchiefs. Once I figured out how to make the first one, I can make one in about 15-20 minutes. These are so whimsical. They are perfect for a little girls room or for a bridal/baby shower decoration. I am making more because I have sold almost everyone I made originally. If you like my blog, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest! Just click on any of the social media links above! Thanks for following me on the junking journey! Below is an image to pin to Pinterest if you would like to save this idea!

Most of my projects have something interesting about them. This one is no different. I acquired this bench last summer during my annual 127 Sale (World's Longest Yard Sale) jaunt. You can read about my adventures by clicking here. I had just found a little wooden pig and was carrying it around while I shopped. Then I found this little bench with the red corduroy fabric. Looking around for the owner of the bench, I saw this woman heading straight for me. Sometimes it is difficult to locate the owner at one of these sales, but this was not the case. It was a little beat up, but I knew it would be perfect to paint and distress. She only had $10 on the bench and of course I asked if she would take $8. She said no, but she wanted to trade—for my pig (which I had just purchased for $5). I certainly was not attached to the pig, so I traded it for the bench. Win. Win. I like to see maker's marks on furniture. It gives a bit of history to the piece. This is from the P.G. Calder Furniture Company of Birmingham, Alabama, which is fitting since I did purchase this piece in Alabama. I tried to find some information about the furniture company. I didn't find much, just a bit of information on BHam Wiki. I removed the seat to reupholster it by simply removing four screws near each leg on the underside of the seat. I removed all the tacks and staples and it revealed... Red vinyl. I'm sensing a theme here with the previous owners. Unfortunately, there will be no more red on this bench. I removed the red vinyl and the padding. I replaced the old padding with new foam cut to the exact size of the seat. New batting was added as well. I used my staple gun to add this white and black fabric. Always start in the center on each side and work your way out to the corners, turning the piece after you add a couple of staples, it keeps the fabric taut and helps ensure the fabric is straight. Fabric with any type of pattern, particularly lines like this needs special attention to ensure it aligns with the straight edges of the piece. The base was painted with Folk Art Black Chalk Paint, distressed with sandpaper and sealed with Rustoleum Matte finishing sealer. The seat was reattached to the base with the four screws. I love how this one turned out. It is so simple, yet so stylish. It can tuck into a corner or anywhere additional seating may be needed. If you like my blog, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest! Just click on any of the social media links above! Thanks for following me on the junking journey! Below is an image to pin to Pinterest if you would like to save this idea!

Benches and stools are quick and easy to revitalize. This really cute little bench was a steal at a garage sale for $5. I believe it was originally used for a sewing machine. The seat comes off for additional storage. A quick coat of black paint freshened up the base. A bit of funky fabric totally transforms the seat. I left the seat detached so it could still function as storage space. It sold immediately. I had about $10 in it in total. It sold for $48 within two days. Score!!! #bench #sewing #funky #fabric #vintage #reupholstery #black #script #Makeover #reupholstered #Furniture

I found these two very dated pieces of art at a thrift store. I knew they would be perfect for a makeover. I painted the frames with Folk Art Chalk Paint in Sheepskin. I distressed the frames and clear coated them with polyurethane. The original images were printed on a heavy cardboard. I thought I could use the same material and paint over the artwork and then stencil it. This is where I have to show that my plans do not work out every time. When I pulled the vinyl stencil off, it was clear that this was an epic fail. Th vinyl had pulled off a layer of the cardboard and had pulled up the paint in several other areas. There was no saving this this particular material. So I cut masonite to fit the frames. I painted the masonite with Rust-o-leum Charcoal Spray Paint. I recut the art with my Silhouette Cameo 3 machine and reapplied the stencil. I painted it with the Sheepskin color (same as the frame). Luckily, this time it worked perfectly. I sanded it just a bit and then put a clear coat of matte polyurethane. I attached the masonite to the frame and it was finished. I displayed both of them in a show this weekend. They both sold. Now I need to find some more frames! If you like my blog, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest! Just click on any of the social media links above! Thanks for following me on the junking journey! #thisisus #frame #sheepskin #FolkArtPaint #charcoal #rustoleum #Makeover #silhouett

One of the many projects my God-daughter has been working on is this bulletin board/mail organizer. We picked it up at Goodwill for a few dollars. She immediately had a vision. She wanted to cover the cork board in fabric, so we had to pry the staples out of the cork. They were over an inch long and they were not easy to get out! And we both thought it would look great in a cream color. After painting with a couple of coats of Folk Art Sheepskin chalk paint, distressed it and a coat of polyurethane, we were ready to cover the cork board. We found this awesome chicken patterned fabric at Jo Ann Fabric store. We covered the cork by stapling it with a staple gun. Tip: we had to change the staples to a lower profile staple because they were going all the way through the cork. We then trimmed the fabric and stapled it to the frame. This is the finished piece. It turned out so well. I loved her vision with the fabric. I probably would have left the cork board as is. Now it is fabulous! If you like my blog, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest! Just click on any of the social media links above! Thanks for following me on the junking journey! #cork #board #message #mail #organizer #Makeover #chicken #chickens

This pandemic has changed the way we do so many things. I used to frequent auctions multiple times per week. The pandemic has forced many of them to go with online only auctions. Although I am thankful there are still auctions to buy inventory for the shop, not being able to really inspect the items can pose problems. This chest is indicative of that. Although it is super solid, I bought from just looking a one photo online. When I picked it up, the lid was not attached, in fact, the hinges were torn off taking most of the wood with them. And there was an angled chunk out of the lid. I may have bid on this at a live auction, but I probably would not have paid as much as I did for this. But it's mine now. So you make lemonade out of lemons. Just add a little vodka to mine! After cleaning the entire piece with Krud Kutter, I painted the base of the trunk with Folk Art black chalk paint. I distressed it and used Rustoleum poly sealant in the Matte finish. The lid definitely needed work. I thought I could repair it, but I really don't have the tools necessary to do it well. I had planned on upholstering the lid so I saved the old lid for another project and cut a piece of plywood for a new lid. I added new foam to the lid, upholstered it with Buffalo plaid fabric and used the cream portion of the Buffalo plaid fabric to cover the buttons. I thought the cream would be a nice contrast to the area of fabric they would fall on the lid. Since the lid was plain plywood, I used dust cover fabric on the inside of the lid to cover the plywood. So I was able to transform something that was kind of a wreck into something beautiful. This is a fantastic storage piece. It is huge and it has a small area sectioned off inside for smaller items. I think it is just beautiful! If you like my blog, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest! Just click on any of the social media links above! Thanks for following me on the junking journey! Below is an image to pin to Pinterest if you would like to save this idea!