Summer is a great time of year to lean into the coastal decor aesthetic whether you live near the beach or far from it. And while we normally equate beachy decor with shocking price tags, there are a LOT of ways to get the look while staying on budget. Especially if you take some inspiration from these coastal projects, all of which upcycle items you can find at thrift stores or yard sales.Read more ›
Pillar Candle Holders with Coastal Style
July 19, 2023 · By · 12 Comments
I first spotted these pillar candle holders at one of those “color-coding” thrift stores. You know the kind I mean, right? Where they group all the housewares by color, and these wooden fellas somehow ended up on the red shelf.Read more ›
Coffee Table Tray Decor in Coastal Colors
July 13, 2022 · By · 19 Comments
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 ›
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 ›
Nautical Wall Decor with Vintage Drawer Handles
April 25, 2018 · By · 19 Comments
As luck would have it, my friends are constantly offering up freebies for me to repurpose for my blog. And so was the case with these vintage drawer handles. My friend, Teri, had given her mother’s dresser a makeover for her daughter’s new apartment. When she asked if I wanted the old hardware, I eagerly took them off her hands. They looked JUST LIKE dock cleats or boat cleats to me, and I wanted to transform them into some nautical wall decor.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 ›
Beach in a Jar
May 29, 2014 · By · 68 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.
Read more ›
