A Virtual Gift Swap Challenge – Re-purposed with Love

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It’s that time of the month again when blogging friends from around the world take part in the Int’l Bloggers Club. We’ve been thinking about doing a thrift store swap challenge, but we just couldn’t figure out the logistics.

 

We’re all from different countries so the exchange rate plays a big part in how much money you can or can’t spend.  In South Africa, we also have a major problem with our postal services. They go on strike at the drop of a hat and you could wait months before you get your package. If it’s a really bad strike it could be years. So we thought about doing a virtual thrift store swap instead, and that slowly evolved to become a virtual gift swap just in time for Christmas.

 

Here’s how it works. We each had to take a photo of three objects that we have lying around waiting for a makeover. You know the ones that keep on saying “Pick me, Pick me!!” and get just ignored because you can’t remember what on earth possessed you to buy them in the first place. We shared the photos on our Facebook group and voted which item would be the chosen one ;-) and then we had a month to re-purpose that item. What makes the challenge super special, is that the chosen item is your Christmas gift to yourself, with love from the Int’l Bloggers Club. Now that’s pretty darn cool. Here’s the three pics  I posted.

 

Guess what…. my tribe voted for the one item that had been begging for a makeover for months now. I had been avoiding this rusty little contraption for a very long time. It looked like some kind of geriatric walking aid with a floppy bit in front.

 

It’s desperate screams for attention must have been heard all over the world. After I had a major little panic attack I grabbed a tin of spray paint and sprayed that baby black. It didn’t change much though, the rusty old contraption just became a shiny new one :-(  I hauled it back to the garage and considered telling my tribe that we needed a re-vote. Fast forward a few days and that little contraption was slowly getting buried beneath a pile of pallets. Some bright spark had been using her as a temporary workbench (probably my hubby, he’s the brains in the family). Anyways, that’s when inspiration struck. The contraption was probably a frame of some sort and she would make the perfect craft table. So we measured and cut some pallets to make a table top and a small seat.

 

And if this was going to be a craft table then extra storage would always come in handy. We added a small shelf to the bottom of the table and used a spade bit to make a hole big enough to insert a metal cup like thing, another random item that’s been floating around for a while ;-)

 

The pallets were screwed onto the contraption and painted and sealed to protect them from any crafty spillage. And just for fun we added a pretty decal.

 

I kinda like how it all turned out. The chair portion can be flipped up when the craft table is not in use, which saves space.

 

Or flipped down when you’re in the mood for some crafting.

 

The craft table is the perfect size for little people ;-)

 

Now it’s so much better than how it started out.

 

I’m not sure if you noticed the little sign at the top there, just above the pot plant.

 

It was made to honor and remember my tribe and how they challenged me to not give up on contraptions. Thank you, Mary, Pili, Katrin, and Keri for everything, the love, the support, and for making me part of the tribe. To see what odd things these gorgeous ladies shared as part of the challenge and their awesome re-purposed gifts to themselves, just click on the links below.

 

Sending blessings and love as always