I look forward to November for many things. First of all, Thanksgiving. Duh. No question I love gathering with family, stuffing myself with things people only make once a year (yet how are they experts and how do they taste so. good.?) I am also excited for November because my One and Only has a birthday, and it is a gentle reminder that he is older than me (that reminds me, I have to get him a gift!) More reasons include blanket scarves, hats, boots, and hooded sweatshirts! This year, though, I have a new reason to love November, and that is my plan of a “No Spend November”. My husband LOVED the idea, but I know what you are thinking. Are you crazy? Who looks forward to not spending money? Well, I am not a cavewoman and I do plan on spending some money. Fam’s gotta eat, amiright? Plus, the holidays and all that goes with that. BUT my goal is to not spend money on things that involve home decor. No, that does not mean that I am putting up the decor hat for this month. Rather it means that I am going to go down into our abyss of a basement and find all of the things I have been gathering, like a squirrel and it’s nut. Only squirrels usually go back to eat said nut after ONE winter. I, on the other hand, have been hoarding away home decor items for years for a few different reasons. Reason 1: I put something else in it’s place and didn’t know where else it would go (except for the basement). Reason 2: I bought it SUUUUPER cheap and I just HAD to have it, only to find that I had “no place to put it”. Reason 3: It’s patiently waiting for me to repurpose, up-cycle, or fix it to fit into a space in our home. Sound familiar? All too, huh? Well, no worries! For this first No Spend November post, I am going to invite you into a place where not many people go–the basement. I will show you what I choose to do with these pieces, all without spending a DIME! Nope, not even that! Anything that I am not saving for another season will be sent off to a local thrift store. Sooo, here it goes. I hope you all enjoy!
No Spend November: The Basement (Bum bum buuuuuuuum)
Here are a couple pictures of the items I found in my basement only. I have another post in mind for my garage! Not pictured are about a dozen cans of spray paint, about 10 cans of paint ranging from cream, blue, grey, pink, purple, silver, black (not all will be used!) including chalkboard paint (remember this post?)
Ok here I have a shutter, 2 shelves, 2 prints in frames, 1 print glued to slats, a magazine rack, 3 hook bird hanger, picture display, wood-look butterflies, curtain rod, 4 legs, empty frame, a piece of wood from a dresser re-do, lighting, rugs, laminate flooring…
aaaand these beauties! I would love to remove them, paint them, and hang them somehow.
The amount of items here isn’t too bad, but we don’t have a lot of space in our basement, and I really don’t like holding on to things for years, only to sell them at a yard sale or donate them. I’m trying to be proactive, people! Bare with me! Below are two projects that I will begin for my No Spend November.
Project 1: Butterflies (the easiest)
I bought these beauties at a yard sale this summer for 75 cents. What?!? They have a wood look to them, which would be fine if so much detail weren’t lost in the tone, so no thanks. Originally I wanted to paint them and affix them to an empty frame. Then I started working on my daughter’s wall and decided against it. My plan is to paint them, distress them a little, and incorporate them into my little lady’s gallery wall. Simple enough. Let’s go!
Before:
After:
In the space:
Spent: $0
Time: 30 minutes (only because I had to hand paint one of the butterflies with two coats since that’s the color I wanted, and I only had it in a can. It’s also the color of the bottom 1/3 of her wall, so it coordinates.) I guess that’s what happens when you use what you have!
Project 2: Piece of Wood (the second easiest)
So a few weeks back I transformed this dresser:
From this
To this
Pretty cool, huh? When I removed the drawers, there was a piece of wood that I had to cut out to create a large shelf. This particular piece of wood was neat: it had some grooves in it and was a solid piece of wood. I had a couple ideas for this piece. I could’ve turned it into a shelf. The grooves could’ve held plates or a print up. But I knew I wanted people to see the grooves and detail, so I decided I would hang it on the wall. People hang balusters and stair rods, so I thought, why not hang a random piece of painted wood? I knew I had to paint it, but I also needed a place to put it. That’s where things get tricky for me. I may love a piece, but to commit a space on my walls is like a fifth or sixth date–serious! In the end, I decided to hang it in the kitchen, above the cabinets. Flanked by two baskets and add some greenery, and I am satisfied!!
Before:
After:
In the space:
Spent: $0
Time: 15 minutes TOPS. I painted this piece with Rustoleum chalk paint in Linen White (the same from the dresser re-do above!) and it took a couple coats. The rest of the time was spent hanging it and putting the baskets/wreath with it.
There you have it! Two projects that removed items from the dreaded basement (creating more storage space), up-cycled for no money and VERY little time! Next week I’m thinking saloon doors and the frame? Who knows? Check back to find out!!
If you liked this post, you’d probably enjoy these as well!
Farmhouse Dining Room Reveal
DIY Fall Wreath (Under $10!)
How to Age Galvanized Metal (the “natural” way)
No Spend November Challenge-Part 2
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This holiday, give the gift of Beautycounter