Gumtree Autocycle Challenge: car accessory to shelving in 6 steps!

Gumtree Autocycle Challenge

I always love a good DIY challenge, so I was really thrilled when I was asked to join the Gumtree Autocycle Challenge. Gumtree asked Karen from Lovilee and I to buy something from the car parts and accessories category on their site, and then we had to upcycle it into a covetable home décor piece. Let me show you how I turned an unwanted car accessory into über cool shelving in 6 quick steps!

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I really racked my brains on this one and scoured the auto parts and accessories section of the site for a couple of weeks… but then these red steel car ramps caught my eye and I immediately knew what I wanted to do! I purchased them from a very nice man in Ottery, and I was ready to get started! To make things super easy, just get Gumtree’s app and then you can lie in bed and search for what you need 😉

Besides the car ramps, I also bought some matte black spray paint and 4 pieces of pine veneer ply. I specifically wanted to get plywood not only because it’s affordable, but also because it has that beautiful plywood line detail on the edges. I also used some clear wood varnish that I had left over from another project.

STEP 1 : SAND

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The supplier was kind enough to cut the plywood to size, and all I had to do was to sand them with 100 grit sandpaper, taking care to smooth everything down. Always measure twice: the ramps are tapered so each shelf has a different length and width! 

STEP 2: SEAL

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A quick coat of clear varnish seals the wood and protects it from stains and other damage. Just look at that gorgeous grain!

STEP 3: SPRAY

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Next, I sprayed the steel with the black spray paint. I really love the matte colour and surprisingly I only needed a single coating! Check on the spray paint can’s instructions whether it’s necessary to use a metal primer before you spray! And something else to keep in mind when spraying outside: don’t stand down-wind from the object you’re spraying 😉

STEP 4: DRILL

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In order to secure the shelves to the frame, I drilled 2 small holes through the base of each frame. Now I’m ready to put the whole thing together!

STEP 5: SECURE 

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Slide the bottom shelf in place and secure it to the frame by screw-fixing it from underneath, through the holes that you drilled in the previous step.

STEP 6: ASSEMBLE

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Slide in the rest of the shelves, taking care not to damage the paint work.

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It was really very easy to do and I love the result: it’s clean, simple, and with its industrial elements also a very trendy focal piece! I love thinking outside the box when it comes to making things for my home.

gumtree autocycle challenge

Karen from Lovilee joined me in the challenge and her number plate headboard got the most votes. It is just gorgeous! And now you can purchase both of these item on Gumtree! It is really to post a new ad – mine took me less than a minute to do! Now, we just have to wait for the buyers to contact us!

gumtree upcycle challenge

Why don’t you have a look at Gumtree and see what you can come up with? I’d love to see your projects!

There are also MANY upcycling and out-of-the-box projects in our book – get your copy here now!

Happy upcycling!

Germarie Signature Featherly

DISCLAIMER: this post was sponsored by Gumtree.

 

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