Meet Deidre Gourlay, the mastermind behind the YouTube channel “Our Upcycled Life.”
Back in 2020, Deidre started this channel to share her pop-up camper project, and guess what?
Her straightforward teaching style and knack for turning trash into treasure got her over 20 million views and more than 250,000 subscribers.
Yup, sheâs a real-life fairy godmother for discarded furniture!
In her latest video, she takes chairs found at the dump and gives them a fabulous makeover.
Four unique projects, each one breathing new life into what was once considered junk.
What could be better?
Here is where Deidreâs passion for rescuing and revitalizing old furniture really shines through.
First up, weâve got a vintage kitchen chair from the 1950s or 60sâthink grandmaâs old kitchen vibes.
This chair had a sturdy metal frame but a damaged seat and steps.
Deidre worked her magic by removing the cracked vinyl and deteriorated wood, keeping that solid metal frame intact.
She found a piece of pine at the dump, traced, cut, and replaced the seat and steps.
After some sanding and painting, she used a DIY coffee stain on the wood and finished it off with a graphic transfer on the seat.
The result? A charming rustic farmhouse chair that would make grandma proud.
Next, Deidre tackled a childrenâs chair with an outdated graphic.
She sanded down the old design and used candle wax to distress the chair.
This clever trick ensures the paint wonât stick to the waxed areas, creating a naturally worn look.
She painted it with homemade chalk paint, distressed it a bit more, and added a custom-printed napkin graphic using decoupage.
VoilĂ ! A delightful piece perfect for a farmhouse kitchen.
The third project was an Adirondack chair, weathered and peeling like an old sailor.
Deidre scraped and sanded away the old paint, prepped it, and gave it a fresh coat of exterior latex paint.
The transformation was stunningâlike the chair had a rejuvenating spa day.
It looked brand new and ready for many more years of outdoor lounging.
For the final project, Deidre found a broken wooden chair at the dump, literally in pieces.
She glued and reinforced the spindles, though the back was too far gone to save.
Stripping away the thick varnish revealed beautiful wood underneath.
After sanding, she cut off the spindles to create a rustic stool.
A clear wax finish enhanced the natural wood grain, turning what was once a pile of broken pieces into a charming stool.
Throughout the video, Deidreâs love for finding free materials shines.
She talks about how sourcing wood from the dump saves money and adds unique character to her projects.
This resourcefulness is the heart of upcyclingâtransforming discarded items into beautiful, functional pieces without buying new materials.
Deidreâs journey into upcycling started with a passion for giving new life to old items.
This philosophy extends to her creative projects, where she aims to reduce waste and inspire others to see value in what might be considered trash.
Her detailed explanations and demonstrations make the process super accessible and inspiring.
She shares tips and techniques, like using candle wax for distressing and creating custom napkins for decoupage.
These insights encourage viewers to give upcycling a try, showing that with a little creativity, anyone can turn discarded items into treasures.
See how Deidre took these trashed chairs and turned them into something gorgeous below!
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