Rescued, Rehabbed and Resold Furniture

You can turn almost any hopeless flea market find into a pretty piece of furniture — and maybe make a little extra cash! HGTV Magazine posted the "afters" from their projects on eBay, Etsy and Furnishly. Some sales proved tougher than others. Find out what they learned, and earned (after deducting original costs and materials), and how you too can turn a profit selling your DIY creations. All profits from HGTV Magazine’s sales were donated to AmeriCares, which delivers medicine and aid to people in need.

This piece was in pretty good shape, except it had some stubborn old stickers on a drawer. Goo Gone was used to remove them, and any nicks were concealed with a wood conditioner (both available at hardware stores). To play up the desk’s midcentury-modern style, the drawer fronts were painted lemon and lime, and satin nickel pulls were added. Original price: $20

The desk was originally listed at $225, but it didn’t get any bites. The price was dropped to $175 and, voila, it sold on Etsy in six days. Total profit: $115 Paint: From top: June Day and Sassy Green, both by HGTV HOME by Sherwin-Williams; drawer pulls: Sumner Street 1 1/4" satin nickel symmetry rectangular knobs, $3 each, lowes.com

After filling nicks and holes with spackling putty, the piece was sanded. Using sample jars of paint — just $5 each — it was given a fresh coat of white around the sides and top, then the shelves were color-blocked with three bright hues. Original price: $12