0:00:03 > 0:00:06Ooh, just before you throw those away...
0:00:06 > 0:00:09How do you make money for nothing?
0:00:09 > 0:00:11- Can I have it?- You can have it, yes.
0:00:11 > 0:00:16The answer could be hiding in the 30 million tonnes of household waste
0:00:16 > 0:00:18we throw out every year.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22Now, this is one seriously unusual tip find.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24That is why entrepreneur Sarah Moore
0:00:24 > 0:00:28wants to get her hands on things before they hit the skip.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34I'm a passionate user, maker and buyer of old stuff.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37And I've turned my passion into a moneymaking business.
0:00:37 > 0:00:40I make new stuff out of old stuff and sell it for profit.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46And with some of the country's elite designers and makers...
0:00:46 > 0:00:48These were going to be thrown away, seriously?
0:00:48 > 0:00:50I love it, love it, love it.
0:00:50 > 0:00:54..she can transform her finds into desirable...
0:00:54 > 0:00:55It looks brand-new.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57..valuable...
0:00:57 > 0:00:59You are joking?
0:00:59 > 0:01:02..and hopefully saleable items.
0:01:02 > 0:01:03That is a triumph!
0:01:05 > 0:01:08If Sarah is successful, then she can hand the profits back
0:01:08 > 0:01:10to the very people who had no idea
0:01:10 > 0:01:14there was cash to be made from their trash.
0:01:14 > 0:01:15That is amazing!
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Today, Sarah finds herself in Altrincham, near Manchester,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35home to this delightful recycling centre.
0:01:35 > 0:01:36A stool that's not cool,
0:01:36 > 0:01:38a three-piece suite that is anything but,
0:01:38 > 0:01:40or a cabinet and that's just had it,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43can all be transformed into stunning items
0:01:43 > 0:01:46with that wow factor to make some money for nothing.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54Yes, it's Sarah's mission to seek out two items that can go
0:01:54 > 0:01:59from unwanted and tired to sought-after and desired.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01Sarah, queen of tips.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04Her Majesty has special permission to rummage here
0:02:04 > 0:02:07and it's not long before something in Andrew's boot
0:02:07 > 0:02:09gets the royal seal of approval.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13What else have you got in there, then? Got the kitchen sink...
0:02:14 > 0:02:16- You're chucking those out? - I was going to weigh them in.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19What does weighing them in...?
0:02:19 > 0:02:21- I'll take them to the local recyclers...- Yeah?
0:02:21 > 0:02:23And they'll give me money for them as scrap metal.
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Andrew's well aware that scrap metal merchants locally
0:02:27 > 0:02:29will only offer around 5p a kilo.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33So with that lot of old-school science lab stools,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35he could make...ooh, 50p!
0:02:35 > 0:02:37I love them.
0:02:37 > 0:02:40So he might just be better off taking a gamble on Sarah
0:02:40 > 0:02:42and her moneymaking plans.
0:02:44 > 0:02:45Where are these from, then?
0:02:45 > 0:02:48I used to work in a school - they were original lab seats,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50- I think they were.- Yeah, yeah.
0:02:50 > 0:02:52They're the same, they're just rusty.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55- We don't mind a bit of rust.- No? - No, they're lovely.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58- So what will you do with these? - I'm not going to tell you.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01But I'm good to come back and show you. Brilliant.
0:03:01 > 0:03:02I shall take those away.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05- I am really chuffed with those, thanks ever so much!- All right.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07- Bye-bye.- Bye!
0:03:07 > 0:03:11I'm pretty sure Andrew won't regret giving those stools to Sarah
0:03:11 > 0:03:13rather than selling them for scrap.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17But does he think Sarah and the stool will have a good chemistry?
0:03:17 > 0:03:20You can use the tubular steel in those shapes and weld them
0:03:20 > 0:03:23together to make all sorts of endless possibilities.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29Hmm... Not very comfortable at the moment, but one day
0:03:29 > 0:03:33these stacking stools are going to be fantastic again.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35There's seven of them, so there's money to be made here.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38We just need to find the right person who loves this retro look
0:03:38 > 0:03:41to update them. And I think I know who that is.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49Say hello to Josh and Oli, designer makers,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51business partners and best friends.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58These boys use natural and recycled materials to create
0:03:58 > 0:04:02handcrafted furnishings and high-end interior pieces.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09We kind of joined forces in 2013 and started working together.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14The best thing about working here is probably when you have a new idea
0:04:14 > 0:04:16for something and you can just kind of come in,
0:04:16 > 0:04:18you've got all the tools you need,
0:04:18 > 0:04:20you can sit down with your sketchbook.
0:04:20 > 0:04:21I mean, the feeling that you get
0:04:21 > 0:04:23when you make something actually original,
0:04:23 > 0:04:26and it's come from your mind and you then take that idea
0:04:26 > 0:04:31and bring it into the physical world, yeah, it's an amazing thing.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33I just hope that amazing feeling
0:04:33 > 0:04:37will extend to her newly acquired science lab stools.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47That's one item in the bag,
0:04:47 > 0:04:50and the next item she finds will be all hers.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54What people throw away drives me nuts.
0:04:54 > 0:04:55See, wing nut, get it?
0:04:57 > 0:04:59Will you get on with it?!
0:04:59 > 0:05:03Sure enough, she soon spots Les, whose boot full of bags
0:05:03 > 0:05:05is like a lucky dip to our Sarah.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08So talk me through what's in here. Anything I might be interested in?
0:05:08 > 0:05:10- What's in there?- Haven't got a clue.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Here you are. Just take it out and have a look.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- I might like some of this stuff. - It's up to you, love.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- You can take what you want. - These are quite sweet.- What's that?
0:05:20 > 0:05:22Oh, the coat hangers.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26Only Sarah could get so excited about a load of old hangers.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30Hopefully, she can find something just a bit more interesting.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33There seems to be a coat hanger theme going on here.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36- Well, it looks that way, doesn't it? - Oh, my word, more?
0:05:36 > 0:05:37Ridiculous!
0:05:37 > 0:05:42Les is sorting through his recently departed uncle's belongings.
0:05:42 > 0:05:43- How old was he?- He was 90-odd.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46And he just loved hoarding things, did he?
0:05:46 > 0:05:49- Well, that's what people do, isn't it, duck?- I do.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52Les isn't one for standing round chatting, so it's up to Sarah
0:05:52 > 0:05:56to see if she can dig out anything other than hangers.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57Oh, there goes Les.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00It's like being underneath a Christmas tree here.
0:06:00 > 0:06:01There you go, kids.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Bags of hangers! Merry Christmas!
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Lovely. Thank you very much for letting me have a little rummage.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10If I find anything interesting, can I keep in touch?
0:06:10 > 0:06:13- You do what you want. - Oh, lovely!
0:06:13 > 0:06:15Les clearly has a lot to get through,
0:06:15 > 0:06:20so Sarah's grabbed a few choice bags for a longer rummage on her own.
0:06:21 > 0:06:24Oh, wow! Look in here.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27Let me guess - more hangers?
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Metres and metres of old fabric.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38It's quite narrow, that means it's old.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Anything that's 30 inches wide, old fabric, is sort of 1940s,
0:06:41 > 0:06:44from when they made things on the narrow loom.
0:06:44 > 0:06:46But I think there's huge potential here to turn a profit.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49And I'd love to have a go at making some projects out of this.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52With that, Sarah has both her items.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Josh and Oli will experiment with Andrew's science stools
0:06:56 > 0:06:58and Sarah will go the extra yard
0:06:58 > 0:07:02with the metres and metres of Les's fabric.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06Today, I managed to gather yet another unusual hoard of items
0:07:06 > 0:07:07which I think, once re-imagined,
0:07:07 > 0:07:10stand a real chance of making some money for nothing.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19In the West Sussex countryside, near the small village of Halnaker,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23designers Josh and Oli are anticipating Sarah's arrival.
0:07:24 > 0:07:25Just a little bit nervous.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28We could have a situation in which we just don't know what we're doing.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30She's usually got a knack
0:07:30 > 0:07:33- of bringing some pretty crazy stuff along with her.- Yeah, yeah.
0:07:33 > 0:07:34I don't know what you mean(!)
0:07:34 > 0:07:36I know loads of different people
0:07:36 > 0:07:38who might be able to take on these stools.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41But I'm after a really handmade quality to them
0:07:41 > 0:07:43and some emphasis on craftsmanship.
0:07:46 > 0:07:47Hello?
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- Hiya! Look what I've got!- Wow.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53- There's good news - there's more, hold on.- OK, cool.- Nice.
0:07:56 > 0:07:57- I've got seven.- OK.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01Are you bragging or complaining, Sarah?
0:08:02 > 0:08:04What do you think of them?
0:08:04 > 0:08:06- I think they're great, yeah.- Yeah? First impressions, all right?
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- It's really nice.- I mean, all they need is just some freshening up
0:08:09 > 0:08:14- and some nice wooden tops.- I think that's the key, nice wooden tops.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17I was thinking that you might just put a bit
0:08:17 > 0:08:19of recycled old plank or something.
0:08:19 > 0:08:24Charming! To be fair, Sarah, you did bring recycled old ironmongery.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26So I'm sort of hoping that they would look really lovely
0:08:26 > 0:08:29and high-end and somebody wants to buy them to go around their...
0:08:29 > 0:08:31breakfast bar or something like that.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34Well, she's ambitious, I'll give her that.
0:08:34 > 0:08:37I think the contrast between the old flaky paint and rusty metal
0:08:37 > 0:08:40and a new sort of polished hardwood top,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42I think that would look really smart.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45I would probably have one of those in my kitchen diner or whatever.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47Well, funny you should say that, you may be able to.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Because there are seven here and, from my experience,
0:08:49 > 0:08:51things normally sell better in pairs.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54So I was thinking maybe we should just do six of them.
0:08:54 > 0:08:55Hear that, Josh?
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Just doing six out of the seven stools leaves a set of spare
0:08:59 > 0:09:01dirty, rusty legs for you! You lucky fella!
0:09:01 > 0:09:03So what wood would you use?
0:09:03 > 0:09:05I would say we would go and buy some new planks,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08maybe walnut or oak, sycamore, maple?
0:09:08 > 0:09:10I don't know... Yew? That's pretty crazy.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Easy, tiger! You're not on Name That Tree.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15I'm really happy for you to get to the wood yard,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17see what looks best and just go for it.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20So that'll be the stool tops looking lovely,
0:09:20 > 0:09:22with carefully selected hardwoods.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24But surely those rusted legs will need a lot of work?
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Whenever you put new stuff and old stuff together,
0:09:27 > 0:09:28if you keep it quite smart,
0:09:28 > 0:09:30then you can get away with having a bit of rust.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33It's going to be cheaper than if you have to spend hours
0:09:33 > 0:09:34polishing each frame, isn't it?
0:09:34 > 0:09:36She's always got her eye on the bottom line.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Speaking of which...
0:09:38 > 0:09:40Money, though. How much is it going to cost?
0:09:40 > 0:09:44I would say we could probably get the tops for £15 per top.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48And I mean, if we don't spend too long on the frames,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52just maybe a coat of lacquer or wax or something...
0:09:52 > 0:09:5345 a stool, then?
0:09:55 > 0:09:59- £45 each gives me a nice margin to make a bit of money on them.- OK?
0:09:59 > 0:10:02- Yeah.- 45?- We'll try and sort that them.- Done deal.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Excellent! I think they're going to look smashing.
0:10:08 > 0:10:10That's a fantastic reaction.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13I can't wait to see half a dozen beautiful stools
0:10:13 > 0:10:17that are really fit for purpose using some lovely new materials
0:10:17 > 0:10:20to make them just look really crispy. Perfect.
0:10:22 > 0:10:27After a thorough inspection, Josh and Oli are nearly on the same page.
0:10:27 > 0:10:31- I think they've got a lot of potential...- Just imagining them
0:10:31 > 0:10:35- with a nice walnut top or something. - I like them as a range, though.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39- The idea of having a different top on each stool.- On each one?
0:10:39 > 0:10:42I reckon. I think that'd be really cool.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46Well, I'm sure they'll have worked it out by the next time we see them.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51Sarah's looking for a set of six stools at a cost of £45 per stool
0:10:51 > 0:10:53for the wood and Josh and Oli's labour,
0:10:53 > 0:10:57making a grand total of £270.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01But will those rusty legs undermine the sumptuous wooden tops
0:11:01 > 0:11:02that they have planned?
0:11:08 > 0:11:14At her home in Sussex, our material girl Sarah's itching to get started
0:11:14 > 0:11:16on that bundle of old cloth she unravelled earlier.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Having a whole bundle like this is really exciting.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23And it's really lovely stuff.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28So I'm planning to turn this lot into fantastic scarves,
0:11:28 > 0:11:32those big wraparound ones that are really commercial at the moment.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35First she carefully measures the... RECORD SCRATCH
0:11:35 > 0:11:38I'm just going to make up the size, there's just so much fabric here.
0:11:38 > 0:11:39Oh, no, my mistake.
0:11:39 > 0:11:40First she grabs some scissors,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43makes an educated guess and starts cutting.
0:11:45 > 0:11:46Perfect.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Oof! Lucky guess!
0:11:48 > 0:11:50And after another hour or so,
0:11:50 > 0:11:54she's very accurately chopped up the lot.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56Right, so there's 15 scarves here.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00So I'm going to get these through the washing machine
0:12:00 > 0:12:01and then get them dyed.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09I can't wait to see what these look like in different colours.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12Sarah's using off-the-shelf cold water dyes.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14With just some water and salt,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17you can create vibrant colourfast tones.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21You can dye pretty much any natural fabric with these powders.
0:12:21 > 0:12:22Come to help?
0:12:22 > 0:12:25She is aiming for a range of vibrant spring colours,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28some of which are working really well.
0:12:28 > 0:12:30That's looking hot.
0:12:30 > 0:12:32Others, less so.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35That's so not blue. It's supposed to be ocean blue.
0:12:35 > 0:12:40As it happens, I quite like the purple. It's going to be all right.
0:12:40 > 0:12:41Time for green.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46I'm not sure I'm quite ready for tropical green.
0:12:46 > 0:12:47It's really green.
0:12:47 > 0:12:51Sarah adds a little yellow dye for a less Incredible Hulk
0:12:51 > 0:12:54and more halcyon springtime feel.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56Now, that's a proper spring green.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Kind of looks like moss.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Bramble's adding her own distressed look.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05Make yourself at home on the silk, Bramble.
0:13:05 > 0:13:07That's how it's done commercially, you know!
0:13:09 > 0:13:13After a quick dry and iron, it's time for the fiddly bit.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15So this is where the fun really begins.
0:13:15 > 0:13:16Lots of little details on it.
0:13:16 > 0:13:18Go to town with tassels and ribbons
0:13:18 > 0:13:20and make them all have their own personality, really.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Sarah's going to roll the edges of the scarves
0:13:23 > 0:13:25and add some colourful embellishments.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27Snip little sections...
0:13:27 > 0:13:29So they're about that long,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32wrap it really tightly round and then tie it.
0:13:33 > 0:13:36And then I can just sew a little line of those
0:13:36 > 0:13:38along some of the ends of the scarves.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40I think this is going to take ages.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43But all these fantastic colours together,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45I think they're going to sell.
0:13:45 > 0:13:50That's one tassel done. Just another 300 or so to go.
0:13:50 > 0:13:51If only Bramble could lend a paw.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57Sarah's spent just £10 so far on these three packs of dye.
0:13:57 > 0:13:59But with so much sewing to get through,
0:13:59 > 0:14:00she'll have to enlist some help,
0:14:00 > 0:14:03which will all add to her costs.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10Just down the road, Josh and Oli are making a start
0:14:10 > 0:14:14on the rusty legs for the set of six old science stools.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16Should hopefully be quite a simple project.
0:14:16 > 0:14:18What we are going to do is try and leave the paint on there
0:14:18 > 0:14:20and just take off the rust,
0:14:20 > 0:14:24and hopefully get some really nice patina on the steel.
0:14:24 > 0:14:26Without further ado,
0:14:26 > 0:14:29Josh and Oli break out the power tools
0:14:29 > 0:14:30to buff up their old metal.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34This disc is just going to remove everything.
0:14:34 > 0:14:35Yeah, I mean, the wire brush...
0:14:35 > 0:14:38is a bit more gentle, so maybe that's the way to go.
0:14:40 > 0:14:41But nothing is working.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45So I've tried it on the paint, and it's just taken that off as well.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Yeah, you've gone pretty heavy on that.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49I'll have to try something different.
0:14:49 > 0:14:53They put down the drills and are rubbing the legs down
0:14:53 > 0:14:55with acetone and abrasive pads.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58Finally, they have the desired effect.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01Now I'm just putting on some furniture wax.
0:15:01 > 0:15:06It'll make it look a lot better and feel kind of silky smooth as well.
0:15:06 > 0:15:07It's looking good now.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10Some bits are really nice. Like, see here, you've got the paint
0:15:10 > 0:15:13and the little bits of metal where it's still slightly rusty,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15and then you've got the fresh steel again.
0:15:15 > 0:15:20Yeah, really happy with that. I think that's turned out well.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23They've achieved the Holy Grail of the clean-dirty look.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Well played, lads. Now for the stool tops.
0:15:26 > 0:15:30Josh has secured a pile of English hardwoods.
0:15:30 > 0:15:34We are going to put a different slab of wood on each of the stools.
0:15:34 > 0:15:39So we've got oak, sycamore, that's a bit of yew.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41This is London plane.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43That's ash.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46And this bit's English walnut.
0:15:46 > 0:15:49And we're slightly worried about the English walnut,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51because it's got a bit damp.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54Hopefully that's all good inside.
0:15:54 > 0:15:55Let's have a look, shall we?
0:15:58 > 0:16:02Josh cuts a likely-looking section from the main piece.
0:16:04 > 0:16:05And it promptly splits. Ah.
0:16:07 > 0:16:09Obviously we've lost quite a big chunk there.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12It's just a case of trying to get a big enough piece
0:16:12 > 0:16:14in order to make a stool top out of it.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16Happily, there's just enough left.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Josh gets the wood down to the right thickness,
0:16:19 > 0:16:21still hoping that it holds together.
0:16:23 > 0:16:24It's a beautiful bit of wood.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28It is, er, full of character, as you can see.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32If by character, you mean it's got large cracks in it, Josh.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35We'll be able to make a feature out of the splits and stuff like that.
0:16:35 > 0:16:36Right...
0:16:36 > 0:16:40While Josh finishes that piece of troublesome walnut,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42Oli makes a start on the next piece.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46- This is yew wood.- ME wood?
0:16:46 > 0:16:49- And everyone goes, ME wood? - Would I? I would.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52It's not you wood. It's yew wood.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55I WOULD woodwork with yew wood, would you?
0:16:55 > 0:16:57Enough! It's just a type of tree.
0:16:57 > 0:17:02While Oli tackles that yew, Josh puts the first stool together
0:17:02 > 0:17:05using that filled and polished up English walnut.
0:17:05 > 0:17:07But will all that lovely wood be enough
0:17:07 > 0:17:10for that high-end sheen Sarah's after?
0:17:10 > 0:17:12It's one down, five to go.
0:17:12 > 0:17:18OAK-ay, it's PLANE to see that there's lots syca-MORE for YEW to do.
0:17:18 > 0:17:19Crack on.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27Sarah's back at home working hard to get those scarves finished.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30Having already tussled with her tassels for hours on end,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33Sarah's bitten the bullet and enlisted help.
0:17:33 > 0:17:37She's roped in her sometime assistant Ian, among others,
0:17:37 > 0:17:39to get them all done.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41As she's aiming for a high-end product
0:17:41 > 0:17:45and a high-end price tag to match, she is confident that spending a few
0:17:45 > 0:17:50more pounds on labour won't take too much of a dent out of the profits.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53- Put a tassel on each corner. - Beautiful.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56So what do you reckon one can charge
0:17:56 > 0:17:58for a hand-tasselled, hand-dyed scarf?
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Sarah's chosen the best 12 pieces of material to finish,
0:18:04 > 0:18:07and soon her tassel odyssey is complete.
0:18:10 > 0:18:13Sarah found a jumble of discarded old material in a plastic bag
0:18:13 > 0:18:15destined for the skip.
0:18:21 > 0:18:23Now they're sumptuous and vibrant scarves
0:18:23 > 0:18:26that wouldn't look out of place on a catwalk.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32With a bit of dye, some leftover thread and a lot of hard work,
0:18:32 > 0:18:35they've been transformed into a gorgeous spectrum
0:18:35 > 0:18:37of springtime loveliness.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42Well, I am really pleased with these.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45They're bright, they're beautiful, and I think they're rather lovely.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47And I've got a good idea about where to sell them.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50I need to position them up here in terms of cost, because I want
0:18:50 > 0:18:54them to be seen as a lovely, luxury item, which I think they are now.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02At the recycling centre in Altrincham, Sarah met Les while
0:19:02 > 0:19:06he was trying to throw out a load of his uncle's old coat hangers.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09There seems to be a coat hanger theme going on here.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12- Well, it looks that way, doesn't it? - Oh, my word, more?
0:19:12 > 0:19:14I know! Ridiculous.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18Among all of Les's uncle's rubbish was a bag of old fabric.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23Sarah chopped it up, dumped it into some dye
0:19:23 > 0:19:28and tied on a load of tassels to create some sublime scarves.
0:19:28 > 0:19:33They proved a perfect fit for Cowdray, Sarah's local farm shop,
0:19:33 > 0:19:34who bought all 12.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37The colours are absolutely beautiful. And the fact
0:19:37 > 0:19:40they've been handmade from something that was otherwise going to be
0:19:40 > 0:19:43thrown away really fits in with the ethos behind our business.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45And they're already in demand...
0:19:45 > 0:19:49- I love that deep purple.- So do I.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52..but not quite for what Sarah planned.
0:19:52 > 0:19:53I'd use it for a tablecloth.
0:19:55 > 0:19:56Each to their own.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Now Sarah's back in Altrincham with some loot for Les.
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- Hi, there, Les.- Hiya, love. Hiya. Are you all right?
0:20:08 > 0:20:10- I'm very well, how you doing? - Fine, duck, thanks very much.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12You were hard at work last time I saw you.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16- You had got loads of stuff coming to the tip.- That's right.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18So, some of it was yours, but some of it belonged to your uncle.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21- Is that right?- That's right, yes. - In one of the bags, there was
0:20:21 > 0:20:23actually some fabric that I was interested in.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26I've got a picture of it to see if it's something you remember.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29I don't remember, but it would be brilliant to see it.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33That was in there, it was lots of really long strips of fabric.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35- Some of it was silk.- Fantastic.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38So do you want to see what we did with it?
0:20:38 > 0:20:39Yes, please, if you don't mind.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41I would like to see what you've done with it.
0:20:41 > 0:20:45- We turned them into scarves. - It just shows you, doesn't it?
0:20:45 > 0:20:48That's incredible, that. Oh, it's brilliant, that. That's fantastic.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50You wouldn't think of doing something like that.
0:20:50 > 0:20:51They looked really good.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54And we took them to a local farm shop and they bought all of them.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57- Did they really?- Yeah, and they bought them at a profit,
0:20:57 > 0:20:59- so I've got a little bit of money to share with you.- Brilliant.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Well, you can't refuse that, can you?
0:21:01 > 0:21:04I tell you what, I've actually got £160 for you.
0:21:04 > 0:21:05Never?! Blimey, Charlie.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09- Is that unexpected? - That is unexpected, that.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13I mean, just imagine how much more stuff just goes in that skip...
0:21:13 > 0:21:16- in them skips every day.- Don't say that, keeps me awake at night.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19I bet it does. That is brilliant, that, love. Thanks very much.
0:21:19 > 0:21:20What might you do with that?
0:21:20 > 0:21:23Well, it's going to put a new exhaust on my car.
0:21:23 > 0:21:29- 2,500.- Oh, seriously?!- Serious money.- That is a nightmare.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32- Well, I'm...- No, that's brilliant, that will go well towards it.
0:21:32 > 0:21:36- Well, that's great news.- Thank you very much. That's much appreciated.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39I hope to see you again down there. See what else I can give you.
0:21:39 > 0:21:40I hope the car's all right.
0:21:40 > 0:21:42Oh, that'll be all right. Thanks very much.
0:21:42 > 0:21:43- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye now.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50Well, I really enjoyed turning something plain and boring
0:21:50 > 0:21:52into something luxurious and lovely.
0:21:52 > 0:21:55And it sounds like the product came just in time for Les
0:21:55 > 0:21:57with his massive car bill.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04Sarah spent £10 on materials, and another 30 for additional labour.
0:22:04 > 0:22:0812 scarves were bought by the farm shop at £200,
0:22:08 > 0:22:13giving Sarah profit of £160 for Les.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20Sarah's back in Halnaker to collect Josh and Oli's work.
0:22:20 > 0:22:23So Josh and Oli have had science stools' bases
0:22:23 > 0:22:25to convert into something saleable.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28I hope they've really managed to pull it out the bag.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31I think we've kind of delivered.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34We've got six of our sort of favourite English woods
0:22:34 > 0:22:37on the top there. It makes quite a cool set.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40They are quite special. They need to go into a school of woodwork.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42- That's the original habitat.- Yeah.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47Sarah left Josh and Oli with the rusty old legs
0:22:47 > 0:22:49of some school science stools.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Now they're a spectacular set of six stools
0:22:57 > 0:23:01with beautifully-finished English hardwood tops.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04The rounded and bevelled corners of the seats echo
0:23:04 > 0:23:08the curves of the original legs that have been carefully waxed
0:23:08 > 0:23:10to preserve their patina.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12And the wood has been expertly crafted
0:23:12 > 0:23:16to show of the delightful character and colour tones
0:23:16 > 0:23:20of the carefully-selected range of locally sourced timbers.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Oh, boys, you've been busy. Look at that lot!
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Don't they look smart?
0:23:35 > 0:23:38To make a sort of family of wood to go on top of them
0:23:38 > 0:23:41and to use that idea to sell them together is great.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44It's a really nice way to show off wood
0:23:44 > 0:23:46and the beauty of English timber.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50But we chose the most characterful bit of wood that we could find.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52This is a beautiful set of stools.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58And now, another episode of Name That Tree.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03- Go on, then, let me guess. What's...? Is that walnut?- Yeah.- OK.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09- Some kind of burry thing, so, oak? - Yeah.- Yep.
0:24:09 > 0:24:11- Sycamore?- Yes.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13- Nice!- Yew.- Yeah.
0:24:13 > 0:24:17- No idea.- Ash.- Ash.- Ash?- Yeah. - And that one must be...
0:24:17 > 0:24:21- I don't know what that one is.- Think of our capital city.- London plane.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23- Yeah.- Perfect!
0:24:23 > 0:24:27Sarah's surprisingly good at that. Show-off!
0:24:27 > 0:24:31I left, I think, £45 per stool on them. Did that come out on budget?
0:24:31 > 0:24:36Yeah, we kept that in mind and we put that into the tops
0:24:36 > 0:24:41and decided to leave the bases pretty much as they were.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45I really like the bases. These colours with the wood are lovely.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Together they work really well.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49I'm going to get more than £45 for that, aren't I?
0:24:49 > 0:24:51- I mean, look at it. - Yeah, I reckon you will, yeah.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Especially if somebody wants to buy the whole collection.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59- What do you think? 45 times 6... So that is 270 for this lot.- Yeah.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03What you've done to them, it's a lovely thing. So thank you.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05- Thank you very much.- Thank you.
0:25:05 > 0:25:09It's a stunning achievement by Josh and Oli.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11It's now up to Sarah to get them sold.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Well, I'm really pleased with the stools.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19They are a lovely simple chunky design and they're really saleable.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21You can't ask for more than that.
0:25:22 > 0:25:24At the recycling centre,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28Richard had a boot full of rusty school stools which were headed
0:25:28 > 0:25:32for the scrapyard, and he had ambitious ideas for Sarah.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34You can use the tubular steel in those shapes,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38weld them together to make all sorts of endless possibilities.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41But Sarah kept it simple and gave Josh and Oli the task
0:25:41 > 0:25:44of topping them with some beautiful timber.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48And they also caught the eye of online retailer Nick.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51I quite like them because they're very minimal.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54- Does that mean you're going to buy them?- I'll take all six.- Really?
0:25:54 > 0:25:57- Yeah.- Fantastic news, well done.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02Now Sarah's back in Manchester to update Andrew on the old stools.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09- Hi, there.- Hey.- How are you? - I'm very well. How are you?
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Yes, really well. Nice to see you again.
0:26:11 > 0:26:13- I said I would come back and chat with you...- You did.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16- ..about your stools.- Yes. - When we took them away,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19- did you wonder what we might get up to with them?- I did.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22I really couldn't work out whether you were going to build them into
0:26:22 > 0:26:25something or whether it was going to be a take on the same type of thing.
0:26:25 > 0:26:30- I really... I've no idea.- In the end, we went for stools.- Oh, stools.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33- So I wasn't wrong. - No, you weren't wrong.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35I've got some pictures here to show you of them.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37- I'd love to see them. - Yeah, do you want to have a look?
0:26:37 > 0:26:39So that's how they ended up.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Oh, yes, yeah, they look really sturdy and chunky, don't they?
0:26:42 > 0:26:44I can just imagine those round the kitchen island unit.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47- Just that right height, aren't they, to have your breakfast at?- Yeah.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50And actually, because of that, it made them really saleable.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52I've actually got some profit here to hand over to you.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56- Yeah, I've got £100 pure profit here.- £100 pure profit!
0:26:56 > 0:27:00Right, on top of the people that have been paid to do the job.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02- Yes, that's right. - That's very good indeed.
0:27:02 > 0:27:04They look so lovely
0:27:04 > 0:27:06and so tactile that they were snapped up immediately,
0:27:06 > 0:27:08so, yeah, I was really pleased.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11- I hope you are with that little windfall.- I am, very pleased, yeah,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14and I think that they came from a school where children are
0:27:14 > 0:27:17and I think the best place for this is for Children In Need.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20I think charity will use this more wisely than I can.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23Oh, that's fantastic, I love that idea.
0:27:23 > 0:27:25- It just completes the circle, doesn't it?- It does, yes.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28- Really good to catch up. - Thank you very much. Take care.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Lovely, thank you ever so much.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33I think that was a lovely reaction
0:27:33 > 0:27:36and Andrew's very generous to give all that money to Children In Need.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39And we have created some beautiful stools that will
0:27:39 > 0:27:41go on to have a new life in somebody else's house.
0:27:41 > 0:27:42Perfect ending.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48Josh and Oli charged a total of £270 for the wood
0:27:48 > 0:27:51and their hard work on those stools.
0:27:51 > 0:27:57Sarah sold them for £370, giving Andrew a profit of £100.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04Sarah unearthed a pair of hidden gems
0:28:04 > 0:28:07at the recycling centre in Altrincham.
0:28:07 > 0:28:12Andrew's rusty stool bases were revamped with new hardwood tops
0:28:12 > 0:28:15and Les's bundle of vintage material
0:28:15 > 0:28:18has been reimagined as a set of scarves.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22It's been fantastic to hand over some money to some great people
0:28:22 > 0:28:24and to watch Josh and Oli
0:28:24 > 0:28:27really breathe new life into those old stools.