Upcycling a Habitat ReStore find into wall decor
For a cheery do-it-yourself or DIY project, I repurposed a kitchen cabinet I found at my local Habitat for Humanity ReStore into wall art of a Triple Star hex sign from the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition.
I’ve been fascinated by the folk art hex signs from the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition ever since I moved to Pennsylvania, and I’ve wanted to incorporate their graphic style into my home.
Since the Triple Star sign symbolizes good luck, success and happiness, I decided this colorful design would be a perfect way to brighten up a wall and add a dash of good fortune to my home.
Supplies
- Oscillating tool
- Paint
- Wood
- All-purpose glue
- Sandpaper
- Impact driver
- Framing square or T square (to make sure all the pencil marks and cuts are square)
- Pencil
- Tape measure
How-to
I was inspired to create this project while browsing the kitchen cabinet section at a Habitat ReStore. While the piece I found was in perfect condition to be used again as a cabinet, it provided enough flat stock material for the upcycled art I was envisioning.
The first step in creating wall art from a kitchen cabinet is to deconstruct the cabinet. I first took off the hinges and then removed all of the connections so that I was left with flat stock. These flat pieces are what I used to create the layers of the wall art.
I printed the Triple Star to use as a template for the wall art. After measuring the template to determine the sizes I needed for each layer, I set aside the cabinet pieces for each shape.
Then I traced the shapes from the paper template onto the flat stock.
Using a tabletop saw, I cut the traced shapes out of the wood. As I cut each piece, I labeled the backside so I could rearrange the puzzle after all of the pieces were painted.
After laying down a tarp to make cleanup easier, I spray painted the wooden pieces. For each layer of the wall art, I used different color of paint to make the star look cheery like the sun.
After reassembling the wall art using the numbers on the backside, I glued the pieces in place.
Making wall art from a kitchen cabinet was a fun challenge, and now my home has an extra dash of good luck hanging on our wall!
Want to start your own DIY project? Head to your local Habitat ReStore.
Theresa Clement co-hosts the MyFixitUpLife talk show with her husband Mark, who is her partner at work and at home. She is the designer for Food Network’s “Save My Bakery,” and designed for “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” She is a licensed contractor, certified color consultant and certified aging-in-place specialist with a focus on Alzheimer’s. She is an author of Do-It-Yourself Home Improvement, DIY Quick Fix and Complete Guide to Shelves & Built-Ins. You can get in touch with her on Twitter for any DIY questions you may have!
