There’s a special place in my heart for creative crafters who create their masterworks out of recycled materials.
After all, there are so many situations where you have something that doesn’t serve its intended function anymore, but could have a fabulous second act in a different setting, like this old sweater that transformed into a pair of mittens.
Somehow, those stories are even better when the object that broke or fell apart is one that you need, and will have to replace. Chances are, you spent good money on it in the first place, and you’re going to spend more to replace it, so might as well get plenty of bang for your buck by repurposing, right?
That’s exactly what one creative woodworker did after her sister’s boyfriend made a mess out of the backyard fence.
Instead of bemoaning the loss of the fence, she took a good, long look at the scrap materials, and transformed them into something totally new.
Scroll through the gallery below to check out the project taking shape!
According to Imgur user bladem, it started years ago, when her sister's boyfriend drove his car into the fence.
The fence collapsed and seems to have been at least a partial loss — most of the boards that were once in place ended up stashed in the family's garage.
There, they lingered for years, protected from damp and rot, but not put to use.
But she couldn't help but think that the old boards were a missed opportunity.
As she put it, they were "just taking up space in the garage."
It was perfectly nice, usable wood, and she simply couldn't find any good excuse to keep leaving the wood in the garage without breaking it out for a DIY project.
With that in mind, bladem decided to get to work, transforming the pile of old fencing into a beautiful coffee table.
She started by constructing a simple wooden frame, one that she would be able to fit the fencing into when she set the tabletop in place.
Within the frame, she assembled hollow wooden legs, using a rabbet joint to fit them together.
Next, it was time to start fitting the boards into the frame.
The fence boards were sanded down and cut to length, then set into the frame to test the sizing and measurements.
It's already looking like a pretty stellar piece of furniture, if you ask us!
Next bladem continued finishing the tabletop and making it look much less like a fence, and much more like a slightly rustic coffee table.
Here, the boards are propped up vertically, so it's easy to see how they once would have functioned as a fence.
But they've now been stained to bring out the color of the wood, clearly bringing them away from outdoor functionality, and toward indoor elegance.
With a few more coats of stain, and a good sanding, the table looks pristine!
Bladem used a much darker stain for the wood of the legs and frame, giving the piece a really strong color contrast.
Still, the homey look of the wood is preserved throughout, calling attention to the knots and the grain that make this table unique.
It's now set up in bladem's living room, in front of the couch.
It's sure to be a conversation piece that will prompt questions and admiration for years to come, since we imagine that it won't be replaced for a long, long time.
This gorgeous table might be the very definition of getting your money's worth.
If you're impressed with this talented woodworker's creative recycling, make sure to SHARE with anyone that loves clever crafting!
