Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Making-do

I love "trash to treasure" projects. It is fun to make something useful out of "junk." One of my favorite blogs is Margo's . She makes some fabulous projects! And, of course, I love the JunkMarket gals. Have you seen their new book? Love it, love it!

So, anyway, I was thinking that "trash to treasure" may be a relatively new term, but the concept isn't new. People have been "making-do" with what they have for years. I wanted to show you one of my favorite "making-do" items.

This vanity (or dressing table) was my paternal grandmother's. Her father made it for her out of old fruit crates. I'm guessing that was somewhere between 60-70 years ago. I don't know for sure. I never knew my grandma. She passed away when my dad was a teenager. I've been told that I look like her. (I would share a picture but it is packed in a box somewhere right now.) My Sweet Girl is named after her.

I've had this dressing table since I was probably 12. It is now in Sweet Girl's room. It is empty at the moment since we are kinda living out of boxes for a few months. Usually I keep her feeding supplies, linens, etc in it. When she was a baby I hung a dowel in the center to hang her sweet little dresses.

The fabric has changed over the years and it really needs to be cleaned up and painted again. The top could probably stand to be refinished. But I cherish this piece of furniture. I think of the love that went into making it. I can picture my grandma sitting in front of it, then at least one of my aunts, then me. Now it belongs to Sweet Girl.

It doesn't have much monetary value, but to me it is priceless. Hopefully it will "make-do" for many more years to come.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is a very special thing to you. I have seen it many times, but did not know the story behind it. So special for both you and the Sweet Girl.

Margo said...

Thanks for mentioning me, I love the "make do" vanity. Yep it's not a new concept is it.
Keep on Junkin
Margo

blessings said...

I was just thinking of doing some trash to treasure in my daughters room. It must be in the Spring air =) Blessings... Polly

The Feathered Nest said...

Vanessa, this is so wonderful, I just love it that you still have it in your family. How neat that it was made out of fruit crates!! Thanks for stopping by to visit me ~ xxoo, Dawn