Thrifty Find

In the teacher’s lounge at school not long ago, several of us were dreaming up ways to make an extra buck during our summer break.  Eventually someone brought up refinishing furniture and selling it via Craigslist or some other avenue.  I felt myself perk up.  Yes!  How fun would it be to refinish furniture and possibly make spare change doing something I love?!  Well, I can’t actually say it’s something I love yet.  I do enjoy giving furniture a face lift, but I certainly haven’t had much practice doing it, nor have I ever sold any pieces I’ve worked on.  Still, if I’ve learned anything from DIY, it’s that you have to be willing to begin somewhere and take occasional risks.  What’s the worst that can happen?  No one will buy it.  All that means is that I need to grow a slightly thicker skin and be careful not to overspend on the pieces l plan to refinish.

With that in mind, my friend Ellen and I headed to the ARC, a local thrift store.  We dug up several great finds, including a large paper cutter board (we decided to go the communal route, so we’re sharing it since we live close).  Then I spotted this solid wood writer’s desk marked at just $15 (it was 50% off)!

It has a few battle wounds, but nothing a sander, some wood putty, and a few layers of paint can’t cure.

It reminds me a lot of this desk from Centsational Girl, which would be perfect in a little girl’s room.

I ended up hauling off with it in hopes that it will be a good training piece for me.  I plan to use Kate’s painting tips on this piece.  I’ll let you know how it turns out—and when I strike it rich after selling my handiwork.  Just kidding!  At this point I’m simply excited to expand my skills while I try my hand at this painting/refinishing business.

P.S. If you’re interested in starting a home business, check out Miss Mustard Seed’s tried and true tips!  Be sure to search her blog for additional posts about this topic.