Trash to Repurposed Life

Pamela Field
by Pamela Field
I met this poor couple selling this chest and even though it was this bad, I knew they needed to money. I didn't put it together until I got it home when I found out..
The drawers don't actually go to the frame, and I couldn't figure out how to make it serviceable for much of anything. Maybe I could salvage the wood and pulls for other projects? I put it away and didn't pull it out until spring cleaning, determined to get rid of things I didn't need.
No legs and drawers do not fit this cabinet
Then I thought.. what if the drawers don't have to open and close to use it? I glued some old burlap scraps on the drawer front and painted it. Drawers still didn't fit so I added some trim in contrasting color. Decoupaged cocktail napkins to the sides of the drawer since they'd always be open.
placed long planters inside the drawers
This was my first try at decoupage cocktail napkins on drawers. Thought it might be a good idea to test it on a piece that didn't matter much. I'm glad I practiced!
Decoupage cocktail napkins on drawer sides
Looking forward to the mature plants to fill in the drawer in a month.
UPDATE!


Here's the planter chest after flowers have grown to maturity.
Frequently asked questions
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3 of 8 questions
  • Brenda Brenda on Dec 05, 2016
    Looks fabulous- love the little lamp too. From previous questions it appears that you didn't drill holes for the water to drain off. Do you think that could that work?
  • Wendy Gregory Graf Wendy Gregory Graf on Jul 01, 2017

    I love this idea and hope to give it a try soon. I was wondering what you do in the winter with the plants? I don't believe these plants will hold up in Georgia throughout the cold months. Do you replace the plants with other plants or just close up the drawers?

    Thanks for any advice.

  • Lara Nicole Raskin Lara Nicole Raskin on Jul 23, 2018

    Love this!!! So the wood doesn’t rot for all the soil and water it did you use a sealant in the drawers?


    lara

Comments
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4 of 276 comments
  • Deborah Frakes Deborah Frakes on Aug 17, 2021

    BEAUTIFUL AND A WONDERFUL IDEA!

  • Dee Dee on Jan 15, 2022

    I absolutely love this!!😍 I'm getting ready to redo my screened in porch and this is the perfect addition I'm looking for. I'm a lover of plants and this is a great way to group them together with a high impact look. Thank you for sharing!

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