Yard Sale Desk and Chair Makeover

I’m here to prove to you fine people that you CAN decorate a room on a budget – and you REALLY can if you’re patient enough to wait until you find just the right thing at yard sales.

Case in point: my desk and chair for the new office cost a total of $9. TOTAL. Add the sample of paint and tiny bit of fabric to cover the seat and it was a whopping $17.

For a TABLE AND CHAIR.

What the what?!

I have to give my mom major props for this one. She found BOTH pieces and grabbed them for me a while back. Separate yard sales, months in between. The woman keeps a post-it note in her purse of things her kids are on the hunt for – I kid you not. So when she’s out and about and finds a deal, she will grab it, and usually nails it. (Really hoping she pulls through on the full size headboard for my daughter’s room soon…come on, Mom, YOU CAN DO IIIIIT!) 😉

You might remember the chair she got for me a while back, and I put it in our bedroom at the time? She spent $4 for the chair. I used an old sweater to cover the seat, and spray painted it white. You can check it all out here.

Well, I needed a chair for the office, and it really served no purpose in my bedroom other than being pretty to look at. So, in typical “shop my home” fashion, I picked up some lovely fabric from Hobby Lobby one day recently and I’m totally in love with it. So let’s recap: $4 for the chair, about $4 for the fabric.

Chair total: $8. (I had the can of white spray paint, but if you really want to get picky, add another $3 for the can;)

Now the desk.

She found a $5 desk. FIVE. DOLLARS. Check it out.

I had just bought a sample of Sherwin Williams Watery, for my daughter’s room. I thought it might just be THE perfect color for this desk, and it SO was. I didn’t feel like sanding or priming or, well, really any added work, so I added just a small spoonful of Plaster of Paris to it so it would stick to the desk as is (LOVE that trick!) and this $5 desk was looking purdy.

But still needed something…

I grabbed my measuring tape and painter’s tape, and created a border. Filled it in with just a little white craft paint I had in my stash…

And can I just say – there is NOTHING worse than running out of painter’s tape SMACK dab in the middle of a project?!! I was so desperate that I reused the existing pieces on the sides that ran out! Worked fine, in case that ever happens to you.

I ripped the tape off, let it dry, then waxed it with Minwax to protect it…and voila!

Meet my yard sale beauties!

Is that paint color the dreamiest or WHAT?!!

And can we talk about that fabric for a second?! Reminds me of something my grandmother had on her couch back in the day, but with an updated colorful twist? I big fat LOVE it.

To recap: $5 desk, plus a sample of paint (bought on sale) = $9.

I repeat:

WHAT THE WHAT?!

So there you have it. Now that it’s yard sale season again, keep in mind that a little paint and a little fabric can be your best friend. So can my mom. But sorry, I can’t let you borrow her;)