When I first spotted this tray at a thrift store, I thought, “Who would donate such a wonderful wooden tray?”. Picking it up, however, proved me wrong- turns out, it wasn’t solid wood at all, but rather something man-made. Which meant it was destined for upcycling, so I decided to create some coffee table tray decor that was perfect for summer.Read more ›
Coastal Coasters
August 11, 2021 · By · 26 Comments
Even though it’s mid-August and all things pumpkin are on my mind, I thought I’d squeeze out another summer-inspired project this year. When I spotted these vintage coasters at the thrift store, I immediately envisioned giving them a beachy makeover. Besides, the idea of using the term “coastal coasters” in a blog post was too cute to pass up.Read more ›
Clam Shell Bowl with Baking Soda Paint
May 12, 2021 · By · 30 Comments
Have you noticed that large clam shells have gotten weirdly popular as home decor lately? They’re turning up everywhere! So, when I spotted this scalloped wooden bowl at Goodwill, I wondered if I could transform it into a clam shell bowl. AND I could try out baking soda paint, which is also trendy these days.Read more ›
Sailboat Decor from a Weaving Shuttle
July 26, 2020 · By · 31 Comments
One year ago, I had gathered up the materials I’d need for this project. I had a couple of weaving shuttles and clear vision for transforming them into decorative sailboats. But right as I was getting started, an email appeared in my inbox.Read more ›
Antique Diving Helmet from a Light Fixture
July 9, 2020 · By · 40 Comments
For the first time since very early March, I went thrifting. Now that we’ve moved to a state with stricter rules, I finally felt more comfortable to go inside a thrift store. So, I headed to Habitat ReStore, where I found a series of eyeball lights in their section of light fixtures. But as I stared at them, all I could see was an antique diving helmet!Read more ›
Starfish Decor from a Lighted Star Christmas Tree Topper
July 7, 2019 · By · 10 Comments
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 ›
Fishing Floats from Thrift Store Vases
September 4, 2018 · By · 22 Comments
Many years ago, I published this project for glass fishing floats by upcycling some vases and bowls from the thrift store. But in the years since, the craft product I used to make these fishing floats went off the market. So, I decided to start from scratch with an even better craft paint to create a new set. Read more ›
Sand Collection Display in a Vintage Spice Rack
August 2, 2018 · By · 28 Comments
There I was in Goodwill, crawling through the housewares when I paused to check an alert on my phone. A friend’s photo of a gorgeous sunset on the beach popped up, and when I went back to thrift shelf scanning, there it was. A vintage 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 had an idea. To create a sand collection display in the old spice rack!Read more ›
DIY Message in a Bottle
May 17, 2018 · By · 27 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 had an idea for DIY message in a bottle that I wanted to try.Read more ›
Coastal Farmhouse Decor
July 20, 2017 · By · 89 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. Read more ›
