How Rub-n-Buff Changed My Life, or At Least Some Hinges

As you know from this post, I recently embarked on the Great Hutch Makeover. Here is what you should know about our hutch at this point in time:

1. It is built-in, but if it was an original part of the house when it was built in 1897, it has been changed since then. We know this because we are top-notch sleuths who trained with the Boxcar Children. And we once toured a boxcar. And the drawers were made of junky plastic and particle board and people were smarter than that in 1897.

2. It did not have any doors on it when we bought the house, just ghosts of nail holes past. If I had completed Year 2 of training with the Boxcar Children, I would be able to figure out where those doors disappeared to. As it stands, I only hold my Associates degree in Solving Crimes By Mooching Evidence Off Other People Who Did All of the Work. (That’s what those kids always did. But I digress.)

The short version of the ensuing story (the long version will come in a later post when the hutch is done) is that to correct both of these details, we went to Lowe’s and bought new wood to make for the drawer fronts and doors. This was fine, except when you are making 8 doors, you need 16 hinges. And 16 hinges cost money. And I haven’t been getting paid all summer. So naturally, I procrastinated on the project until I serendipitously stopped at a yard sale and saw this treasure bag staring at me in a box labeled FREE. I wasted no time beating down the other shoppers and snatching up the goods for my very own.*

*There were no other shoppers. But in my mind, my kung-fu was brilliant. 

The obvious problem is that none of the 38 (!) were the finish that I had in mind, but my motto is “Snatch free stuff first; figure out what to do with it later.” Later=buying some Rub-n-Buff from Michael’s in antique gold (yes, I’m crossing over to the dark side of gold and brassy in the dining room)…

…and transforming the coppery finish on the hinges (but only the part that will show…) to a subtle gold.

It was easy, fast, and cheap. I used a 40% off coupon on the tube, making it cost only a few dollars, and I barely put a dent in it. So for mere pennies, we have new hinges. Let’s celebrate by making a lot of punny puns about how the progress of our hutch hinged on having hinges and how I would have looked quite unhinged if I had actually shoved other yard sale shoppers out of the way to get my hinges.

Because that would be hilarious.

Or lame.

Or a clear clue that it’s time to end this post. (See, clues. I told you I am an honorary Boxcar Child.)

What did you get done this weekend? Who wants to come yard-saling with me? Who wants me to teach them my Boxcar Children secrets?