Michael and Jaspenelle

Old Speakers Project

(Windigo shown for scale… or cuteness… or because he wouldn’t get off the speakers… Click the thumbnail for a larger image.)

I love recycling, yes I sort my plastics from tin cans but that is not what I mean. I like taking old things and making them new and funky things. Not all my endeavors in this direction turn out right but that doesn’t really ever stop me since the interspersed successes make it all worthwhile. Besides I think reusing old things for new purposes is ultimately more “green” then buying new green products.

So with that said I want to talk about my need for a couple of indoor plant stands and two old stereo speakers Michael has.

When I moved in with Michael these two particular speakers were functional but at some point during one of our three moves they have lost their wires and one is now missing its little speaker. According to Michael is brother made/altered the speakers at some point, which is why one of the speakers is pointing into its box (which seems to be filled with quilting batting? - Justin, why is that?) After they lost their wires they became nightstands for our bed in our last place. In this place, since we now have different nightstands, the speakers just lay on their side in front of our closet doors to prevent Aos from getting in there (also need to find a better solution for that…)

Anyhow, long story longer, I now want to make the speakers into plant stands for the living room. Most of me wants to keep the speaker gadgetry visible because I think it looks cool, but I want to cover the veneer boxes somehow. The veneer is chipped and just yucky, and since the speakers going downstairs, the don’t match the pine wood furniture and a shades of green theme going on.

I was thinking about maybe painting the boxes green, the veneer is not peeling so I feel fairly confident in just painting over it. I am a firm believer in sanding but I admit I have never sanded down veneer, what horrors lie beneath? (My father sugguested I use liquid stripper instead, I’m a little afraid of the harsh chemicals while pregnant though.) Maybe after I get the speakers painted green I will do some kind of fabric decoupage thing to it, but beyond those basic ideas I am rudderless.

So I am asking for your ideas because you guys are an awesome creative force that inspires me.

Sewing help?

I have four wooden kitchen chairs (like this one) and I love them very much (not only are they pretty, they were free!) However they are not the most comfortable things for extended sitting, and since I sit at the kitchen table when I use my laptop, I do more extended sitting then I care to admit.

I want to make cushions for them that are like this. I can’t seem to find a tutorial online that gives me basic information on doing that. (I don’t want to buy cushions when I can make them for cheap and have them match my kitchen.) I am thinking of just tracing the seat of the chair, allowing a bit for seam allowance, then cutting two pieces that size, sew together, stuff, add buttons and voila, cute seat cushion?

Am I on the right track here?

(If they play Love Song by Sara Bareilles on the radio one more time… Can we say over played? Not even the baby likes it anymore, when it comes on he kicks so hard my whole belly moves! He likes Red Hot Chili Peppers though.)