Jim Hanson of American Island Antiques and Art in Minneapolis turns flea-market finds into special home accents for next to nothing. An old dollhouse is remade into a charming coffee table, and plain lampshades get inventive new dressings. It's easy to turn an old dollhouse into a great accent table. Use a castoff your children have outgrown, or find a used dollhouse at a thrift store for $15 or $20. Touch it up with paint if needed, and attach a piece of plywood or a ready-made tray to the roof of the dollhouse. Brighten up inexpensive paper lampshades with a dusting of gold or silver spray paint. Leave them as is for an elegant look, or add stripes of paint for a kid's room (figure A). A paint pen comes in handy for more intricate detailing. Dress up beat-up yard-sale lampshades with pretty fabric (figure B). Attach the fabric with spray adhesive, and use hot glue to add a border of decorative gimp. Make this project a real money-saver by using yard-sale fabric, or go wild and use fancy decorator fabric. Very little fabric is needed to cover a lampshade, so even high-cost fabric won't break your budget.
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