Beach Cottage Decor from the Thrift Store

Beach Cottage Decor from the Thrift Store

My “Thrift the Look” blog hop challenges are one of my favorite things to do. And this time around, the theme is Cottage Decor. Any version of cottage decor was up for grabs, but I chose to work on a thrifted version of beach cottage decor or coastal cottage decor.

If you’re not familiar with my Thrift the Look challenges, here’s the skinny: I choose a professional photograph to recreate using thrifted pieces and upcycling ideas.

And for Beach Cottage Decor, my inspiration photo came from an unlikely source: a product photo from Birch Lane.

Coastal room decor by Birch Lane

Update- Birch Lane no longer uses this photo in the advertisement for the rug that was showcased.

I was quite taken with the vignette behind the couch. It looked like it came straight out of a beach cottage without being overly regional. In other words, it was neither too nautical nor too tropical.

So, I decided to thrift my look for beach cottage decor with this vignette in mind!

I honed in on the vignette components: colored glass bottles with fishing net decor, coastal wall art, a starfish, old books, seashells, and a square basket. With my inspiration photo in my head and saved to my phone, I spent the next few weeks thrifting my little heart out.

And I found a TON of stuff.

Thrift shopping for beach cottage decor

Once I had a bunch of thrift store pieces to work with, I set my sights on a few upcycling ideas and repurposed projects to complete the vignette. Fingers crossed that my version of the vignette comes together!

This post contains affiliate links for your crafting convenience. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All blue, bold, and underlined text is a clickable link, either to a product or to a related post.

Upcycling Ideas for Beach Bottles

Right away, I knew that the colored glass bottles in the inspiration photo were something I could easily recreate. I mean, I’ve made very similar decor before – with these glass fishing floats!

First, I needed to give the clear glass bottles from the thrift store some color, starting with the stained glass spray I’ve used before.

Stained glass paint on glass bottles for coastal cottage decor

However, I changed up my approach this time– and layered both colors on each glass bottle.

I varied the number of coats and dominant can of paint for each one, ending up with a nice variety of colored glass bottles.

coastal cottage decor

Now for adding the fishing net component to my beach bottles. Remember that macramé purse in the collage photo of my thrifted decor pieces above?

Macrame purse to be upcycled as fishing net decor

Well, I had this crazy idea to wrap it around the largest glass bottle…

First, I removed the lining and strap from the macramé purse. Then, I placed the largest bottle (jug, really) inside the purse.

Upcycling a macrame purse to use as fishing net for beach cottage decor

Next, I trimmed off the excess on the bottom and the top. I used jute twine to basically stitch those openings shut – as close to the bottle as possible.

Think of how corsets would be laced up– that’s the kind of “stitching” I did with the jute twine.

Fishing net decor on colored glass bottles for beach themed decor

For my next bottle, I a grass place mat to use as “sea grass” on one of my other beach bottles.

Grass place mat to be upcycled as coastal cottage decor on beach bottles

A little hot glue later and I had a sea grass-wrapped bottle.

Beach bottles by upcycling a grass placemat and stained glass spray paint

And for the third bottle, I knotted jute twine like fishing net (using the technique in my glass fishing floats post). 

Beach Cottage Decor from the Thrift Store

With that, the nautical bottles for my beach cottage decor were done!

coastal collection of bottles

I assembled everything else I had – coastal wall art (purchased years ago from a thrift), vintage books (from various thrifts), the basket, my starfish decor (you DEFINITELY need to check out this blog post about it here), and some seashells.

Ready for it? How close did my version of coastal cottage decor come to the original inspiration photo?

beach cottage decor

What do you think? I’m kind of loving how it all came together – and every single thing either came from a thrift store as is or as upcycled by me!

It’s not, perhaps, and IDENTICAL match to the original inspiration photo, but I wouldn’t say “no” to an entire home outfitted to match my vignette.

*****

Thrift the Look: Cottage Decor

NOW – check out all the kinds types of Cottage Decor that my blogging pals (the Creative Vintage Darlings on Facebook) cooked up for their Thrift the Look challenge. Everyone went with a different type of “cottage”, so there is plenty of decor variety.

Beach Cottage Decor by Sadie Seasongoods and Boho Cottage Decor by Little Vintage Cottage

     Sadie Seasongoods | Little Vintage Cottage

  Cottage Decor by Home to Heather, Rustic Cottage Decor by Itsy Bits and Pieces, and Industrial Cottage Decor by Audrey Would Vintage Home

    Home to Heather | Itsy Bits and Pieces | Audrey Would Vintage Home

*****

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the inspiration photo and my thrift store version of Beach Cottage Decor.

Thrift the Look for coastal cottage decor or beach house decor

I hope you enjoyed this Thrift the Look challenge as much as my previous ones: French Farmhouse Decor, Lake House Decor, and Boho Decor!

And if you enjoyed these upcycling ideas for coastal home decor, then you may also be interested in my sea glass bottles, too!

Sea glass bottles as wine bottle crafts for coastal decor

Craft on!

S

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beach cottage decorating ideas

coastal collection of decorative bottles

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Sarah Ramberg is the owner of Sadie Seasongoods, a website that celebrates all things secondhand. From upcycling ideas and thrifted decor to vintage-centric travel itineraries, Sadie Seasongoods is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves thrifting and approachable repurposing ideas. Sarah is also the author of “Crafting with Flannel” and has been featured in numerous media outlets and magazines.

Comments

  1. This turned out so great! Very creative.

  2. Daisy Dianne Bromlow says

    You knocked the challenge out of the park !

  3. These turned out so cool, Sarah! Love that stained spray paint; will have to think up something to use that on! Can’t wait to check out everyone’s creativity!

  4. Everything came together so nicely! That wicker picnic basket was a real find, but I love the bottles. I’ve been looking for that type of spray paint for something I want to try but Krylon isn’t available in the stores near me.

    • Sadie Seasongoods says

      I linked to them in my post – please let me know if the links aren’t working for you!

  5. This is amazing! I love your version!

    Tania

  6. Judy Brundage says

    Sadie. love love love your vignett! You did a wonderful job. Very inspiring!

  7. Deborah Truesdale says

    WOW!!!!! You did an outstanding job on this project!!!! Of course, I love all your projects….but this one is a winner over all!!!!!

    • Sadie Seasongoods says

      Thank you so, so much, Deborah. I am so in love with these Thrift the Look challenges – and this one was extra fun for me to work on!

  8. You captured the inspiration look so beautifully, Sarah…and I am in love with those bottles! You are so creative!! This was such a FUN blog hop…thank you so much for putting it together for us!

    • Sadie Seasongoods says

      It really was super fun- and thank you! Can’t wait to check out everyone else’s posts!

  9. Cindy Conner says

    Love your thrift challenge. Those bottles are so cute. I will have to read about the thrifted challenge. How fun and neat. Hugs and blessings, Cindy

  10. Thank you again for organizing all of this! It is the most fun of all the hops! I absolutely love how you transformed those bottles – I’d have never thought to use a purse in a million years!

  11. Honestly Sarah, you never cease to blow me away! I love everything you’ve done with your room and can’t believe all those bottle are painted. Who would ever know? And that purse for the netting is genius. Love, love, love and have pinned for a beachy cottage day! 🙂

  12. I think this is a great success, so love the bottle redo…had to pin that. Fun series, I could see doing a whole bunch of bottles like this with lights in them for a yard display!

  13. christinafayerepurposed says

    Sarah I would say you nailed it! I like yours better it’s so beautiful!

  14. Christy Roppel says

    You did a beautiful job Miss Sadie!
    I have a question: Do you prefer the stained glass paint you used here as opposed to the sea glass spray paint?
    Thanks!

    • Sadie Seasongoods says

      Thank you! It really depends on whether you want a frosted glass look (sea glass spray paint) or colorful but clear (stained glass paint).

  15. Beautiful. I really like the one with the woven bag.

  16. I so look forward to getting the email from your blog each week. I wish I lived in the America as you have fabulous Thrift stores ( we call them Opportunity Shops in Australia) which I have been visiting since my early teens when I discovered the great treasures they hold. Of course those days in the 1970’s they were not very popular like they are now and many really exciting things for a few cents.
    Thank you for your great craft and repurposing ideas, I really love them.

  17. Love it! Everything turned out beautiful! Great ideas for repurposing the jugs; I won’t ever look at a purse the same way!

  18. I like your version even better!

  19. paulasweetpea says

    You are so creative! I love how you created the beachy bottles with spray paint and items from the thrift store.

  20. This was such a clever idea! I want to try to make some of these too.
    Please share this post over at You’re the Start blog hop on my site kippiathome.com
    Happy Summer,
    Kippi

  21. Sandra Smith says

    I like yours more than the ‘original’! Truly! Sandra

  22. Sadie, I so enjoy all your thrifting that you show us. I really like your version better than the model.I even like your picture better. I would like to try to do something like it for my mantle but I don’t have one thing like it. Time tol start looking thru the thrift stores as haven’t been for some time.

  23. I love, love, love this! Being from New England your vignette spoke to me!!!! Fantastic

    • Sadie Seasongoods says

      Thank you!! I really didn’t want to work off of an inspiration photo that was too cutesy-beachy or tropical beachy. And that photo had a great Nantucket vibe, right??

  24. Elizabeth Sutton Sterling says

    I actually like yours more!

  25. Camille Dammasch says

    Better than the original!

  26. Everything is amazing, I adore the jug and the purse transformation, so clever! I NEED that paint in my life, I have so many bottles that would take on a whole new life!

  27. Love it, and all of your Thrift the Look Challenges. Reminds me of an old HGTV show called Sensible Chic that I loved. Keep the design ideas coming!

  28. I found this on the Cottage Market and honestly, I bow to you as you are the queen of thrifting upcycles! I like yours better then than the one you used for inspiration

  29. Ramona Y LeFevre says

    Love your see glass. I have a old,large glass water cooler bottle that I have been wanting to do the same thing to,I just wasn’t sure what paint to use. Thank you for your post.

  30. Janice Guarino says

    I’m so impressed with your thought process for the jug by using the purse. I have a similar jug that has macrame around it, and have always loved it, now you have me looking for purses so I can make another. Thanks so much for sharing your ideas.

  31. I LOVE IT! Your version is awesome! I am new to your blog and already have so many great ideas I want to try! I live in FL but I am originally from Charlotte and think that is partly why I was driven to your page! Also, I love the Thrift Shop the Look Challenge! My besties are coming to visit soon and we love to thrift shop! I think it will be a fun thing for us to do together!

    • Sadie Seasongoods says

      Hi, Tammy- and welcome! Too funny, I lived in various parts of Florida (Fort Myers and West Palm Beach) for about 15 years. We’re just on opposite moving schedules. And YESSSSS- Thrift the Look is the MOST FUN with your friends!

  32. Your creative mind is simply brilliant! This is amazing, especially those bottles!

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