Recently I saw an outdoor cart advertised on clearance: Was $78.99. Now $39.99! While this cart is attractive and functional, I already had found something better. Or, more precisely, I had found two better things.
Earlier in the summer I discovered this sorry-looking cart at a garage sale, so forlorn and forgotten that it hadn't even been priced. When I asked about it, the owner shrugged and said, "A dollar?" I immediately indicated that I'd take it.
With some simple touch-ups, I knew the cart could be transformed. First, I took it home, wiped it off, and disassembled the pieces.
Careful to keep all hardware together, I taped off portions that didn't need to be painted, and then spray painted or hand painted the parts that did.
I also used a stencil to decorate the formerly dull and stained top. The cart now sits in my youngest daughter's bedrooms as a place for her toys and stuffed animals. It was entirely worth a dollar.
Later in the summer, I found a second cart for $5 at a separate garage sale. The frame was solid, yet blandly industrial looking, and the wooden top had multiple scratches, which I repaired with white wood filler, as you'll see in the picture below.
Then, I reinvigorated the look by painting the top a classic navy blue (inexpensive paint sample purchased from Lowes),
and I brightened the dull frame with several coats of aluminum spray paint.
I've tucked the cart in the corner of my dining room, next to a window and our dining room table. It's the perfect location for a magazine rack, the go-to pencil sharpener, and (not pictured) my laptop when it's charging. The greenery from the plants adds a softening touch to the piece's rectangular shape.
The bottom line is this: if browsing at a garage sale, don't just regard the objects for what they are; look at them for what they could become. You might stumble upon not just one, but two carts for a mere $6, and all you need to add is a few supplies, a little time, and a little effort.
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