Why I Garage Sale: Shabby to shic couch

Why do I love garage sales? Grandma!

Mary Lyne Till, my hip and happening Grandma, is just now retiring from her career as an owner of Shady Lady Antiques in Whidbey Island. She is a garage sale picker and taught me everything I know. She has been dubbed the garage sale goddess of the island.

Have you ever seen that show: American Pickers? Ya. I love it, and have been watching episodes the last few evenings while in the garage taking my garage sale find and turning it into something fashionable.

Funny thing: my Grandpapa is an upholsterer. So I'm dedicating this post to the both of them.

 

Now down to business. We had been looking for a couch since we left our stinky, ugly old ones behind in the move. This is when we realized how expensive furniture is. The Dalles has alot less selection as well, everyone wanted over $100 for their ugly outdated couches at the consignment stores and Craigslist. So I went garage saleing and picked up this shabby, but comfy and smell free sofa for $15 (including delivery). 

I told myself: it just needs a cover! So I went to the thrift stores for ideas: nothing big enough to cover this beast. So I went garage sailing where if found 11 1/2 yards of soft black fabric with a hidden paisley design: $5.

I watched some youtube how to videos and got to work.

Snug covers for the seat cushions were made.

 I draped the fabric on the couch and did what sewing I could with a regular needle. (my fingers took a beating. If you do this: pick up an upholstery needle and thimble.)

Then I added these tacks that I picked up for $1.40 to give it a finished look.

I ran out of fabric for the top cushins and had a tiny panic attack, then I remembered our shower curtain! The fabric gave it a nice layer of texture and blended nicely!
To finish it off,  added some color with this button I picked up: $1.25.

 2 episodes of Pawn Stars. 3 American Pickers and 4 Food Network Star shows later:

We have a couch I can put in our house.
Total cost: $29.04