Theresa Clement ofMyFixItUpLife wants to take DIY to the next level — and to South Philly. The Ambler resident hosts a repurposing workshop Nov. 21 at Point Breeze’s ReStore.
“I go to the ReStore when I’m looking for something different and unique,” says Clement of the Habitat for Humanity-run home improvement store/donation center. “It’s like Target — you walk in and you just want to get a table and you walk out with so much more. But you don’t spend more.”
“I’ve been doing a monthly makeover of something I found [at the ReStore],” she continues. “Instead of doing my own project in my own little world, I’m going to bring it to the world … . I want to share little things so we can geek out together.”
The little things include learning how to properly sand and use spray paints and power tools in makeover projects.
On MyFixItUpLife.com, Clement posts about transforming the times she comes across at ReStore, along with “how to” video tutorials. Recent finds include a Mid-Century dresser — that one received a bright makeover with spray paint — and a plain dresser rebuilt into a snazzy storage bench.
Hosting the “How To Repurpose Creatively” workshop onsite lets Clements work one-on-one with aspiring DIYers, instead of just talking to them through a video or the radio show Clement and her husband, Mark, host Tuesdays on interactivesite Blab and Saturday mornings at 10 WCHE 1520AM. They often bring home improvement experts like Ty Pennington from “Extreme Makeover” onto the show.
Where to go
The workshop is Nov. 21 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at ReStore, 2318 Washington Ave. Registration is required to score one of the 15 slots and the $15 fee covers the cost of materials.
“We want people to come in and see things that need a little TLC, be creative and make things better and new,” says ReStore manager Greg Bradley. “It’s a how-to of recreating furniture.”
Happy hour
If you’re a young professional who wouldrather support Habitat for Humanity without building anything, there’s a non-DIY option: the organization is raising funds the open-bar way, with the fifth annual Young Professional Habi-Hour, Nov. 5 at Ladder 15 (1528 Sansom St.).
Tickets are $40 in advance and$45 at the door, with proceeds going toward helping Habitat build and repair homes locally.
