Creative upcycling projects using salvaged stuff from Community Forklift!

This refinished medicine cabinet looks awesome!

From a Forklift Fan: “It took many hours of soaking and scrubbing but it was all so worth it. I love being able to save things like this! I really wanted to use natural cleaners, which is why I started with vinegar, and it worked like MAGIC, but upon drying it caused a lot of flash-rusting (and was the demise of the mirror). Then I found another earth-safe cleaner, which helped with the flash-rusting, but really brought out the carbon in the metal. Another round of scrubbing and washing with dishwasher soap, followed by a spray matte clear, and here we are!”

I love the aged effect on the mirror and how it contrasts with the sleek finish of the metal. Thanks for supporting reuse and rescuing this beauty! (IG: @katiefrigginburk)

A Forklift Fan used a salvaged table top from Community Forklift to replace the warped one on her work bench! For only $10 and a little elbow grease, she got a revamped work surface and didn’t send reusable materials to the landfill. Thanks for repairing, reusing, and supporting Community Forklift!

Alex of puppet theater company Alex and Olmsted resurrected a $1 chisel from Community Forklift. Now it’s ready to help create! From Alex: “… it was my first time bringing a tool back from the dead like this. Really fun, and it totally makes me look at beat up tools differently. There’s a lot of good steel hiding behind that rust.” Thanks for supporting reuse, Alex! (IG: @alexandolmsted)

I am so inspired by how good this vintage dining set from Community Forklift looks in its new home! From Hannah: “My dad worked at Brass Knob and Back Door Warehouse so we were raised with an appreciation of reused furniture and salvaged stuff. I grew up going to Community Forklift and now I have my own house in Hyattsville to furnish. This dinette set is actually replacing my previous dining table which is also from Community Forklift!” (IG: @hsbcraftwork)

Check out this awesome mirror upcycle! “These old mirrors have so much character, I love them. For this one I added a few scroll details in the style of a Primrose Mirror from Anthropologie.” Upcycling is a great way to get the look of an expensive item for less! Thanks for the great example, Erin! (IG: @flippin_fairfax)

RELATED POSTS

July 2021: Creative Upcycling Projects From Forklift Fans
April 2021: 5 Creative Projects Using Community Forklift Materials!
August 2020: Reuse in the Great Outdoors!

Would you like to share a project that you’ve completed using salvaged materials from Community Forklift? Send photos and a short description to outreach@CommunityForklift.org or tag us on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter!

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Every time you donate or shop at Community Forklift, you’re helping us lift up local communities through reuse.  We turn the construction waste stream into a resource stream for communities in the DC region – by keeping perfectly good items out of the landfill, preserving historical materials, providing low-cost building supplies, and creating local green jobs.