KoniFrazer.com

Category: Artfully Upcycled

  • Roll top desk, from old and plain to fabulous

    Roll top desk, from old and plain to fabulous

     

     

    I love it when I acquire a piece of unwanted furniture to transform.  This roll top desk was given to me to do whatever I wanted with it. Yay, how fun is that? As an artist, this is like a blank canvas for me.

     

    roll top desk before

     

    Here’s a before picture of the desk.  Deciding what I was going to do didn’t take me too long.  It’s a fun piece of furniture all on its own.  Making it even better, with some creativity, well that’s my kind of thing.

     

     

     

     

    Roll top desk after

     

    I  used french linen and old ochre chalk paint by Annie Sloan.  It’s amazing to me that you don’t have sand the piece before applying the paint.  Adding some hand painted dandelion flowers on each side and on the inside of the desk top gave it a fun look.  I lined the drawers with old book pages.  Finally, I distressed the whole piece and then added some wax.   Oh and not to forget the brass knobs I replaced with pretty glass ones.  I think it turned out super cute!  Another fun transformation complete.

     

  • Hand painted furniture, a look at before and after

    Before and after dresser

     

    Here’s a look at some of my furniture transformations. Each piece of furniture you see here was given to me.  The owners all considering them as a castoff piece of trash.  I see each unwanted piece of furniture as a canvas for my artwork.  I love the challenge of every transformation.  I am able to rescue one piece at a time, giving it a much needed makeover, so to say.  The dresser on the left is an example of my work.  Included in this makeover is vintage lace on the drawer fronts, some hand painted dahlias on both sides, and dahlia blossoms on each drawer knob.

     

     

     

     

    before and after side tableThis side table was sanded down and given a coat of black paint.  I hand painted a monogram “R” in the center of the table top in gold metallic paint.  Accents of swirl designs were also painted in gold throughout the piece.

     

     

     

    before and after vanityThis vanity was transformed by adding a light blue and ivory color paint overall.  Then I added some vintage lace to the drawer fronts and painted over the lace with the light blue color.  Pansy flowers were hand painted on the vanity top and a new fabric seat cover was applied to the matching stool.

     

     

    table redo

     

    On this side table I hand painted a purple flower vine on a light ivory base. The whole piece was given a coat of dark wax and hand buffed finish.

     

     

     

     

    table transformationThis one is a side table that has a bookshelf beneath the table top.  I hand painted some lilac color tulips on the table top.  Accents of purple and green color were applied throughout this piece. A coat of brown antiquing was applied overall to complete the look.

     

     

    You can see what can be done with some creativity and time spent on each piece.  They are now a work of art and not a piece of trash.  From trash to treasure, each is special and unique, a one of a kind item that no one else has.  They are not the furniture that you can buy in a store where quite a few other people own the same piece.  It’s refreshing and fun to know that I have saved all these items from the garbage heap.

  • Jewelry box transformations, a look at before and after

    Jewelry box transformations, a look at before and after

     

     

     

    before and after girls jewelry box

     

     

    Here’s a look at a few before and after pictures of jewelry boxes that I have redone or “artfully upcycled”  The jewelry boxes you see here were all thrift store finds.  Trash to one person may be a treasure to me.  It’s fun to search for and find items that I can renew by adding paint or whatever it might take to make it like new.  Each jewelry box that I transform becomes a treasure for someone to enjoy once again.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    before and after jewelry boxbefore and after jewelry box 2

    What stories do these items have to tell?  They have a history which gives them character and charm.  I see the beauty in these items as I rescue them one by one.  Adding to each a new identity with a bit of artful inspiration.

     

     

    before and afterSome of these transformed boxes have been sold.  If you’d like to check out what I currently have in stock, click here NEWaged.  Or maybe you’d like to see all of my other artfully upcycled treasures at NEWaged.etsy.com

  • Tea cup wine glass making day

    Tea cup wine glass making day

    The other day was the perfect time to make another batch of tea cup wine glasses.  I had found some cute vintage teacups to upcycle.  I am amazed what can be found with the right amount of searching.  Each cup that I rescue is filled with memories and a story to tell.  That’s one of the fun details that make each a unique treasure.

     

    Tea cup Wine Glass selectionThis is the selection of tea cups and stems pictured left.  My husband and I work together to handcraft the tea cup wine glasses that we sell on etsy.  First we select a stem that we think pairs best with the individual cup.  Then the stems are rough cut from the wine glass, as you can see here in this picture.

     

    Trimming Stems Fitting StemsThe stems are trimmed down to fit each cup one at a time.  This is a process that takes a bit of time and patience.  The cup bottoms vary so the stems are trimmed for a good fit.  We want them to fit well, to be symmetrical and level.  This is extremely important because we want a nice finished product.  When the stems are ready we glue them to the cups with an epoxy.

     

    Finished CupsHere is the finished product, handcrafted tea cup wine glasses ready for a new home and new memories. We like to call them “artfully upcycled”.