How did a broken mantel become new furniture? With fabric and a new paint job--that's it!
If you've been shopping recently for bedroom furniture, you know it doesn't come cheap. Christen Colvert figured there had to be a way to punch up her bedroom without a hefty price tag. Lucky for her, one man's trash became her treasure.
Braking for Bargains
It was actually Christen's mom who spotted a worth-saving mantel on the side of the road. The owner was redoing his home
and had kicked the splintered and peeling piece to the curb.
Redesigned on a Dime
First, Christen and her husband, Cam, sanded the mantel and put on a fresh coat of white paint. The next step: filling in
the center with fabric. They measured the area, and then cut a piece of plywood about an inch smaller on each side. The couple
glued thick foam to the wood, and then wrapped a few layers of cotton batting around the foam, securing it to the back with
a staple gun. Caramel-colored velvet was placed on top of the batting and also secured with staples. The fabric panel was
affixed from the back; in the corners where the mantel and plywood meet, one end of a small piece of wood was nailed to the
mantel and the other end was attached to the plywood. (Imagine how the tabs on the back of a picture frame keep a photo in
place.) "The whole project cost less than $100,? says Christen.
