Finding cheap supplies....
Repurposing furniture can get expensive when you start running to Lowe's every day for supplies.
So when I go to garage sales and auctions I am always on the lookout for anything and everything I can use in my "shop" (okay, it's really my garage but whatever)....
It doesn't necessarily have to be intended for "projecting." Old hand towels and wash cloths, and even old t-shirts, are always great for staining or just cleaning up messes. And when you are stripping or refinishing furniture it is nice to be able to throw these things away rather than worry about whether they will destroy your washing machine (and they will if they have gunk on them!) I picked up athletic socks for 10 cents a pair Friday....perfect for applying gel stain and finishes! And I have a tenant who works at a commercial laundry business and she gives me old stained wash cloths and hand towels!! You can always find really cheap towels...just cut them up and use them for "shop" rags!
Glass measuring cups or bowls and old spatulas are great for mixing paint. I have an old set of measuring spoons with my supplies specifically for measuring plaster of Paris for my plaster paint!
I always check the "oops" paint at Lowe's. They usually mark quarts and even gallons of "mismatch" paint for around $5....I got a little sample pot of teal paint for 50 cents this week!
I picked up two quarts of paint and some caulk guns for $1 at an auction Saturday. Not necessarily the colors I want, but I can always mix paints to get a color I like...a "dark blue" can be lightened with inexpensive white paint! And TRY to remember your primary colors...blue and yellow make green (and so on and so on...if you can't remember ask your grandkids or your 8 year old neighbor...lol!)
I have bought several boxes of "supplies" at garage sales and auctions...rollers, pans, brushes, sandpaper...all for cheap and all stuff I can use!
Any kind of container works great for paint brushes or small tools! Tin cans, pencil holders, storage containers....all great for keeping supplies organized!
And rubber gloves are a must when staining or even painting! I picked up three boxes of "medical" gloves at an auction for around $5!!! MUCH cheaper than the rubber gloves you get at Lowe's specifically for that purpose. Now keep in mind, if you are using lacquer thinner or heavy strippers, you MUST use heavier gloves designed specifically for those types of chemicals. But I always need disposable rubber gloves for staining and painting!
And as I have mentioned before, any smart DIYer always recycles coffee cans and plastic butter or whip cream tubs.
Just remember...just because it is MEANT to be used in the kitchen or bathroom, doesn't mean it HAS to be used there...if it is cheap, grab it and put it to work in your garage or shop!
