35 Times People Restored Pinterest DIY Fails Back To Their Original Glory

With the internet’s treasure troves like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist at our fingertips, snagging awesome secondhand furniture has never been easier. All it takes is a dash of creativity to flip something old into something fabulously new. This crafty magic? Some folks cheekily dub it “Reverse Pinterest,” where the spotlight shines on turning Pinterest DIY fails into masterpieces.

Enter the world of Reverse Pinterest, a vibrant subreddit where the community celebrates the art of redemption. Here, handcrafted wood pieces once doomed by overambitious Pinterest projects find salvation, emerging from the depths of paint chaos to bask in their restored original glory.

Dive into this curated collection of the most jaw-dropping transformations shared by the group. From cringe-worthy to awe-inspiring, these before-and-after showcases are a testament to the power of a little love and a lot of elbow grease.

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1. “Restored This Beauty To Its Original Glory. $20 Goodwill Cedar Chest Returned From Crackled Paint Torture”

2. “Lent A Helping Hand To This Poor Cedar Chest (Henderich Furniture Company). Boy, Was I Pleasantly Surprised To Find Such A Gorgeous Grain Beneath That Paint”

3. “$75 Craigslist Find. Ended Up Getting It For Free After He Saw We Were Expecting. First Time Refinishing Something!! Pleased With How It Came Out”

4. “Liked The Shape Of This Vase And Knew It Was Spray Painted, No Guess As To What Was Underneath But Decided To Give It A Go. Pleasantly Surprised”

5. “$25 Solid Teak Table”

6. “For $8, I Couldn’t Pass Up The Challenge”

7. “This Weeks Goodwill Find. Why Would Anyone Have Painted This??”

8. “Goodwill Rescue Of The Week”

9. “My Uncle Fixed Up This Desk That You Guys Identified As A Jan Kuypers Piece. I Think It Looks Pretty Neat”

10. “I Was Not Looking For A Project But Walked Past This Table In A Thrift Store And Felt Obligated To Address This Monstrosity”

11. “I Had No Idea How Beautiful It Actually Was!”

12. “My Dad Didn’t Have Much Respect For Nice Furniture, So He Painted This Glossy White And Wrote On It With A Sharpie. I Restored It”

13. “Before & After: Mcm Hutch From Fb Marketplace”

14. “Refinished A Painted Gem. Harlequin Line For American Of Martinsville Designed By Merton Gershun”

15. “Saved At $30 Bassett Mid-Century Nightstand”

16. “My First Before/After. Any Id Help Would Be Awesome”

17. “Saw This At Goodwill For $30 And Knew Something Amazing Was Underneath. Never Restored Furniture Before So It’s Not Perfect But I Love It”

18. “Bye Bye, Yellow ‘Antiqued’ Paint!”

19. “Before And After Refinishing A Painted Zenith Mid Century Record Console I Got For $25. Please Please Please Don’t Paint Nice Furniture”

20. “First Time Restoring Furniture/Woodworking!!! Found This Mcm Dresser On The Side Of The Road”

21. “Not Sure If This Counts As ‘Reverse’ Or ‘Slightly Un-Pinterested’, But I Like ItNot Sure If This Counts As “Reverse” Or “Slightly Un-Pinterested”, But I Like It”

22. “Teak Table Restoration”

23. “I Refinished A Blonde American Of Martinsville Credenza”

24. “Finally Finished My First Restoration Project! It’s Not Perfect But I’m Pretty Satisfied! (White Was Before)”

25. “Before And After: Green Secretary”

26. “A Recent Save”

27. “Never Would’ve Thought Such Beautiful Grain Was Hiding Under This 70 Year Old Paint Job”

28. “No Idea Who Would Buy This, Paint It, And Throw It To The Curb, But I Love My New Lamp”

29. “Got This Stunning Vanity Off Of Facebook Marketplace. Unfortunately, Someone Mutilated It By Coating It In Three Layers Of Paint Covering It’s Beautiful Real Wood”

30. “Finally Finished Rescuing This 1954 Beauty! (Details In Original Post Comments)”

31. “Got Me An Old, Damaged Bookcase For 5€”

32. “Restored Painted Blanket Chest. Walnut Veneers With Burl Walnut And Curly Maple Panels”

33. “My $10 Garage Sale Find Was Pristinely Preserved Under So Many Layers Of Paint”

34. “Tried To Bring An Original 60’s Bassett Mayan Nightstand Back To Life After A Furniture Flipper Got Their Hands On It”

35. “Before And After On My $70 Marketplace Find. Lane Brutalist Nightstands”