While working on my recent Thrift the Look: Beach Cottage blog post, one of the most challenging elements to find was a large starfish. I didn’t want to buy a real/dried one from a craft store, so upcycling one was my best bet. I just wasn’t sure what I’d find that could become the starfish decor that I needed.Read more ›
Starfish Decor for a Beach House by Upcycling a Christmas Tree Topper
July 7, 2019 · By · 10 Comments
Glass Fishing Floats or Japanese Glass Floats for Nautical Decor
September 4, 2018 · By · 22 Comments
Full disclosure – this upcycling idea and tutorial was first published in July of 2014. But in the years since, the product I used to make these glass fishing floats went off the market. So, I started from scratch with new products, MUCH better photos, and Japanese glass floats that are simple and inexpensive nautical decor. Who says beach home decor can’t come from the thrift store anyway? Read more ›
How to Display a Sand Collection of Beach Souvenirs in a Wooden Spice Rack
August 2, 2018 · By · 23 Comments
There I was in Goodwill, crawling through the housewares when I paused to check an alert on my phone. A friend’s photo popped up- of a gorgeous sunset on the beach- and when I went back to thrift shelf scanning, there it was. A wooden spice rack that someone else had painted purple, using it to house her button collection. But with the beach photo still burning a hole in my mind and the spice rack in front of me, I suddenly realized that that the two would work swimmingly together- to display a sand collection / beach souvenirs!Read more ›
Repurpose Wine Bottles as Message in a Bottle
May 17, 2018 · By · 25 Comments
Ever since recycling glass stopped in my county, I’ve been trying to come up with fresh ways to repurpose the glass bottles I end up with. Now that summer is on the horizon, my head is already in the sand- beach sand, that is. So, this time around, I decided to make a Message in a Bottle with my empty liquor and wine bottles.Read more ›
Coastal Farmhouse Decor from Glass Candle Holders
July 20, 2017 · By · 107 Comments
I don’t know about your neck of the woods, but it is just wickedly hot here. So much so that I long to stay inside where the A/C blows cold and I can daydream about the elusive cool summer day spent on the coast. And with that idea in mind, I decided it was time to create some beach themed decor. But this time, I’m taking it a step further as coastal farmhouse decor. Yes, “coastal farmhouse” is a real thing!Read more ›
30+ Upcycling Ideas for Beach Home Decor and Coastal Living
July 31, 2016 · By · 46 Comments
Coastal decor, whether it be for a lake or an ocean, is near and dear to my heart, despite the fact that I am currently landlocked. I just LOVE the color palettes associated with beach home decor – aquas, tans, and whites. Even though I don’t have much traditional nautical decor in my home, I love it just the same, as well. And there are SO many upcycling ideas for these coastal interiors, that I decided to gather a few of them to share with you.
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Wine Bottle Crafts – Beach Glass or Sea Glass Bottles for Coastal Decor
June 30, 2016 · By · 277 Comments
Earlier this year, our county stopped recycling glass of any kind. So, not only did I become a more mindful consumer at the store, but I started thinking of ways to upcycle our glass bottles. And transforming some of our wine bottles into sea glass bottles seemed like a GREAT place to start.Read more ›
Coastal Decorating with Beach in a Jar
May 29, 2014 · By · 90 Comments
Over the years, I’ve procured several blue ball mason jars, particularly those with air bubbles inside the glass. I’m such a sucker for old aqua jars with their vibrant color and crusty zinc lids. So, I decided to upcycle a few of my own into coastal decor or “Beach in a Jar” with seashells and beach treasures I had collected over the years.
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Driftwood Wreath for Coastal Decor this Summer
April 8, 2014 · By · 37 Comments
Up until 2009, I’d always lived near a shoreline- half my life along the shores of Lake Michigan, and half my life bouncing between the Gulf and the Atlantic in Florida. My fondest beach memories are those of the windswept, deserted beaches in Southwest Michigan that were filled with beach glass and pieces of driftwood. And to celebrate those memories, I decided to make a driftwood wreath for our front door this summer.
