Two old side tables, a few bottles of chalk paint, and some white-stained paint brushes decorate our breakfast area right now. Country music blares through the house as my older sister Aimee transforms ugly furniture into gorgeous, rustic pieces to resell. Her first project was this little desk she repainted, distressed, and fixed up with cool hardware! The difference is amazing, and I can’t wait to see what she revamps next!
Why am I writing a whole article about repainting ugly stuff? Because a lady bought that desk for $150, that’s why! This is a perfect side business for teens!
First
You’ll need a little bit of cash to invest. You can get this by doing odd jobs for relatives, sacrificing some allowance, or saving birthday money. Consider striking up a deal with your parents for a loan of $20 to obtain your project piece and supplies.
It’s time to find a piece of furniture to refurbish! Make sure to get your piece inexpensively enough that you can make a great profit without being too pricey! Aimee found a nightstand for $4, a free sofa table, and the desk for $10. Practical storage items with drawers such as desks and nightstands tend to sell better than merely decorative furniture items. Hold out for pieces that don’t need repairs and have good bones. Look past the 80’s colors– a little bit of paint can work miracles!
My sister obtains furniture from yard sales, thrift stores, friends, or Craigslist. Recently our aunt has been helping find pieces as well! I’ve also heard thrilling treasure-hunting stories from people who have found beauties set out on the curb for bulk-trash day. Just keep your eyes open– you never know when you might find a treasure. 😉
Second
Haul your project home and set up a workspace. Make sure to take a ‘before’ picture!
Collect the tools you’ll need: an electric sander, dust mask, sandpaper, foam paint brushes, some sort of sealant/wax, and paint. Aimee uses “chalk paint” from Walmart; it’s nice because it doesn’t require primer.
To learn how to do the actual repainting and refurbishing, check out these awesome blogs:
You can get lots of inspiration from Pinterest too! Check out my board here and make your own!
Depending on the type of furniture you redo you may need to change out some ugly drawer handles or add a cute accent to finish it off. This is probably Aimee’s favorite part judging by the number of hours we’ve spent picking out drawer pulls. Aimee finds a lot of her hardware at Hobby Lobby. It has a huge selection of cool, rustic stuff!
Remember to save whatever you remove for later use! When Aimee replaced the knobs on the red desk with distressed metal pulls she saved the black knobs and later repurposed them as feet for a tray she had already refurbished.
Third
Now for the exciting part! It’s finally time to sell it.
Aimee takes good quality pictures of her finished pieces then lists them on multiple social media sites.
When you set the price make sure to work in your costs and time spent. Some places to sell are: OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist. You could even try placing items in a consignment shop. They’ll probably take a 50% commission, but it will put your furniture in front of so many more people!
The $4 nightstand recently sold for $55!
The sofa table is currently waiting for a happy, color-loving customer!
The red desk sold for $150 and went to its new, loving home.
Revamping furniture is such a good way for teens to make extra money! You can even fit this business in around school! It’s relatively easy, flexible, and teaches you great skills– not only how to revamp furniture but also the practical skill of how to sell a product.
What do you think? Are you ready to rescue ugly furniture and make some cash?
Sounds fun (I like refinishing furniture). Has she calculated the actual hourly return, looking at time and cost of supplies?
I don’t know. I will ask her to respond here and let you know. Thanks!