DIY Network

Samantha Gleisten is one of the lucky few, a woman who has found a way to turn her passion into her profession. Even if she weren’t getting paid to do it, Samantha would still be prospecting for the best stuff in junk shops and thrift stores, then re-using those items in a way few of us can imagine. Her passions are green design along with creative re-use and recycling. Among Samantha’s most prominent junky-to-funky transformations is a luggage loveseat made from four vintage suitcases. She also turned the grill from a 1961 Rambler into a headboard for her bed and warmed old 78-rpm records in the oven so they could be molded into popcorn bowls. If it all sounds totally fun and creative, that’s because it is. This DIY Network expert earned her B.F.A. in theater at the University of Colorado where her work as a set designer helped her master skills in construction, power tools, carpentry, painting and welding. Seize Samantha’s insightful ideas on DIY Network’s From Junky to Funky.