From Smelly Wardrobe Trunk to Fabulous Fabric Storage
$30
Medium
This is my $10, yes $10 yard sale find from last October. It was our last garage sale around 2 pm when we pulled up to a driveway filled with stuff. As my eyes scanned the goods while walking up the long drive, I spotted the $10 and my heart start beating faster...
Then my hubby comes up and says "should we open it?" I am like "hell yeah" so we carefully unlatched it and slowly opening it like it was going to break and then...
The AWFUL musty smell which was enough to knock you over...
That is why no one bought it all day for $10 but that did not stop us. We had to see what was inside and boy was I excited to see all the drawers!
Then a woman started walking toward us...she said "Oh a trunk" My hubby says out loud "sorry it is taken" but she insisted on walking closer until she smelled the odor of a trunk that had sat closed up for years in a basement. That turned her off immediately and I had to giggle.
Some beauty is just hidden.
Now I have to confess this trunk had stunk up my Expedition and the trip home was with the windows down. When we got home, we put it in the garage but that was a huge mistake! So out it went on the deck for 3 months but that did not help. I tried everything but I knew there was only one thing to do:
rip out all the fabric and seal it with paint.
So I did. Purple. Well just the drawers purple. And the inside of the trunk Weathered Fence chalk paint by Prairie Colors.
Then I went on a trip to JoAnn's fabric store to find the perfect fabric.
I did not paint the outside nor did I alter the hardware. I sealed the outside leather trim and trunk with Lo-Gloss sealer from Prairie Colors to bring a sheen. Then I used the sealer on the rusty hardware. I liked the look of 'vintage'.
Creating. Inspiring. Gardening without the rules!
See more photos on my blog
Then my hubby comes up and says "should we open it?" I am like "hell yeah" so we carefully unlatched it and slowly opening it like it was going to break and then...
The AWFUL musty smell which was enough to knock you over...
That is why no one bought it all day for $10 but that did not stop us. We had to see what was inside and boy was I excited to see all the drawers!
Then a woman started walking toward us...she said "Oh a trunk" My hubby says out loud "sorry it is taken" but she insisted on walking closer until she smelled the odor of a trunk that had sat closed up for years in a basement. That turned her off immediately and I had to giggle.
Some beauty is just hidden.
Now I have to confess this trunk had stunk up my Expedition and the trip home was with the windows down. When we got home, we put it in the garage but that was a huge mistake! So out it went on the deck for 3 months but that did not help. I tried everything but I knew there was only one thing to do:
rip out all the fabric and seal it with paint.
So I did. Purple. Well just the drawers purple. And the inside of the trunk Weathered Fence chalk paint by Prairie Colors.
Then I went on a trip to JoAnn's fabric store to find the perfect fabric.
I did not paint the outside nor did I alter the hardware. I sealed the outside leather trim and trunk with Lo-Gloss sealer from Prairie Colors to bring a sheen. Then I used the sealer on the rusty hardware. I liked the look of 'vintage'.
Creating. Inspiring. Gardening without the rules!
See more photos on my blog
This is in my craft room for storing my fabrics.
This was from last October and the Expedition was carefully loaded
The trunk is was in great condition but I smelled awful
I used Mod Podge for the fabric I found at JoAnn's. I used Rustoleum 2x spray paint for drawers in and out
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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4 of 10 comments
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Just removing the fabric and painting it got rid of the smell? I have a similar trunk and man, it stinks!
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Mine had a horrid musty smell also. After years of trying everything recommended, I finally took it all apart, scraped everything out of it and painted. It had a paper like liner that seemed to be holding the smell no matter what I used or how many times it sat in the sun and fabric that did, also. The paper lining I literally scraped out with a paint scraper after wetting it down. I scrubbed it with a brush and hot soapy water after the old liner was out. It was a stinky, dirty job, but, afterwards I let it dry in the sun and thankfully the smell was gone, never to return. I lined the drawers with fabric after they were dry and use them for my sewing supplies. It's been a few years now, and the musty smell has not returned. I wanted to keep the original, but, in time realized that it just wasn't going to work out if I ever wanted to use it for anything, or ever leave it open!
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@Cynthia H love it
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