With the GrainHome Improvement Tips and Tricks

Do you have three or four old chairs that have lived out their lives on their own?  Rather than throwing these furniture pieces away, turn them into something new:

• Find a salvaged plank of wood, or cut one to size if you have the proper tools
• Screw the plank to the chairs once they have been aligned properly.
• Add some braces from the chair back to the plank (home improvement centers have a variety to choose from).
• Sand the entire piece down, and add a coat of primer or stain.  If you’ve primed, allow it to dry completely before adding a coat of paint.
• Varnish the piece, and let it dry for 24 hours before putting it to use.

Even if you don’t have chairs ready for this project, it’s easy to spot them in yard sales, antique shops, and flea markets.  Choose chairs that are the same for something unified, or choose chairs that are different from each other for a more eclectic look.  These benches are perfect for mudrooms!  Have fun!

Rather than waiting for the spring weather to hit, why not start going through things now?  I don’t know about you, but I get a bad case of cabin fever every year.  Part of what helps get me through that is preparing for the warmer weather by hauling out a bunch of what I no longer need or want. 

• I put things aside for future yard sales.
• I start going through closets to see what I can donate for clothes.
• I start sorting through what is trash and what is not.

This is all preliminary sorting, donating, and purging.  I do a complete overhaul of the whole house once I can start putting things outside without having to worry if it’s going to freeze or get wet.  This is a good start, though.  Good luck!