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From Dumpster to Dance Studio, a Cubby Shelf Revamp
by
Mindi @ MyLove2Create.com
(IC: blogger)
When I first spotted this cubby shelf it was a mess, so I left it sitting by the dumpster. Of course I was kicking myself for leaving it...my junk lovin' free findin' self just couldn't handle it! Within the hour I had my 14 year old in tow and we were headed back to cram it into my van.
After hanging out on my back patio for a few months I decided to give it a new life and a new home. My daughter's dance studio had just been newly renovated and I noticed they had a tiny little cubby holder that only held about nine bags. That is when inspiration struck. I went to work fixing up the cubby shelf to donate it to the studio.
After hanging out on my back patio for a few months I decided to give it a new life and a new home. My daughter's dance studio had just been newly renovated and I noticed they had a tiny little cubby holder that only held about nine bags. That is when inspiration struck. I went to work fixing up the cubby shelf to donate it to the studio.
This is before shot, from the back. It was wobbly, water damaged, and covered in nasty tar like gunk.
The first thing I did was replace the one missing divider, and then I glued and nailed it back together to make it sturdy. I also scraped off all the tar stuff and gave a vacuum and cleaning with TSP cleaner so I could paint.
To cover up the damaged plywood ends I made a face frame using pocket holes and 1x2 boards.
And then I made a big mistake, like a lot of people do in a hurry. Right? I didn't listen to that little voice in my head that told me to fill in the damaged wood cracks with spackle BEFORE I painted...As you can see they all showed up no matter how much paint I applied. (and I knew that would happen, ugh!) So I filled in cracks and seams with spackle and caulk and then primed and painted...Again.
I attached the face frame with wood glue and finish nails, then filled in the holes and re painted the trim. Oh, and I can't for get the best part...
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Published January 9th, 2015 11:23 AM
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Heliane Ripley on Apr 10, 2015I bet the folks at the dance studio just love you. :o)
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Karen Manasco on Sep 29, 2016Such a cool find, I would have been so excited! I've always been a big fan of cubbies, cubes, and multi-compartment storage. Congrats on the find, and the great re-do!
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