The vintage lovelies bring to mind a time of custom-made
clothing in our off-the-rack world. Elegant in their faded
beauty, old dress forms are not just works of art, they're
also ideal for displaying jewelry.
Hard to find, vintage mannequins and dress
forms are usually quite expensive.
Aren't they lovely? Do you want one? Make one!
2.) Outline the back with a piece of stiff backing
3.) "Slip cover" the form
4.) Glue gun a backing and trim
5.) You now have a charming dress form!
Plastic dress forms can be purchased at web sites
The 'vintage' dress form below was actually
created with brown paper bags - truly!
to create this charming mannequin top.
When I post photos of Before and After projects I always keep in mind the inspiration
and hard work that go into each transformation. Someone spent their time, money and
energies creating a Phoenix, if you will, out of cast off ashes:
Sammy, of Renew-Redo, faced a daunting challenge - high winds snapped off a large tree
branch which fell into her yard. Did Sammy cry, wring her hands, pull her hair, call the
Tree Doctor? Nope. She got out her chain saw!
The tree is now a beautiful coffee table in Sammy s living room!
I winced when I saw these magenta velvet chairs -
could hardly get beyond the fabric fail:
The three pitiful pink piggies are now a regal bench seat.
By removing part of the crown molding, sanding and painting, and replacing the hardware
you, too, could have a 'new' storage cabinet.
Kim at A Brush of Whimsy is one of the most genius girls around. She has The Eye
for vision and can rehab just any piece of discarded furniture you throw at her:
Vanity Before: Vanity After:
Desk Before: Desk After: (it's now a vanity, too!)
If you're new to rehabbing, start with something small:
A $10 Goodwill mirror makes a darling menu board.
Keep your eye out for pieces that you think would
be ideal for a re-do. Often you can start with
something you already own - just enjoy the process!
