Many moons ago, I had spotted a gorgeous farmhouse lamp at a highfalutin antique shop in Cashiers, North Carolina. Constructed from an old porch baluster (the spindle’s more robust cousin), it was striking…and strikingly expensive. I went from defeated to determined, though, when Jon whispered to me in the shop, “We can make that.”Read more ›
Farmhouse Bookends and Architectural Salvage
February 13, 2019 · By · 32 Comments
When I spotted this pair of wood bookends at the thrift store, I grabbed them right away. They were just heavy enough to scream “well-made” to me, and were blank slates for an upcycling idea. I envisioned them paired with architectural salvage to create some farmhouse bookends.Read more ›
Washboard Decor for the Laundry Room
November 14, 2018 · By · 23 Comments
While I am no stranger to upcycling vintage washboards, I have yet to create anything for my laundry room in my nearly 5 years of blogging. So, when I found this antique washboard at a local favorite thrifting haunt, I decided to repurpose it into some washboard decor for the laundry room.Read more ›
Baking Pan Storage in a Kitchen Caddy
August 8, 2018 · By · 22 Comments
Magazine holders are a pretty common sight at thrift stores, aren’t they? I’ve certainly seen my fair share of them, and have even repurposed a few of them before. Upcycling another one wasn’t a priority for me, but this particular one couldn’t be passed up. Large, sturdy, and ripe for a makeover, it seemed destined to become a kitchen caddy.Read more ›
French Farmhouse Decor from the Thrift Store
July 25, 2018 · By · 70 Comments
I wanted to take a quick detour from my normal upcycling and repurposing projects for a slightly different kind of blog post. Today, I wanted to dive into thrift store decor a little deeper, because shopping secondhand is near and dear to me. In fact, it’s the foundation of everything I do here on my blog. Think of this as a “Shop the Look” kind of post, but not with fashion. Instead, we’re going work on a “Thrift the Look” home decor vignette using a magazine photo as inspiration. And the theme of this Thrift the Look post is French Farmhouse Decor. Read more ›
Getting the Look of Vintage Crocks on a White Ceramic Canister
November 16, 2017 · By · 28 Comments
This project, my friends, was a complete and utter experiment. And I decided that no matter the outcome, I would post the final results. That’s not an easy promise for me to make- the idea of posting a failure gives me great anxiety! And what, pray tell, was that crazy idea of mine? Getting the look of vintage crocks or a stoneware crock on a white ceramic canister from the thrift store!Read more ›
Vintage Condiment Caddy as Mini Succulent Pots
August 3, 2017 · By · 77 Comments
I recently went on a thrifting adventure in Spartanburg, SC- a town not too far from where I live (and where I was recently interviewed for their local paper!). And let me tell you, the thrifting angels were singing from above. I found future project after future project, driving home with a car load of fun finds. And one of those finds was a vintage condiment caddy.Read more ›
Upcycling an Old Washboard into a Chicken Wire Frame
June 29, 2017 · By · 47 Comments
Whenever I stumble upon an antiques mall that has a “Clearance Section” I am like a heat-seeking missile with one goal in mind: to find a broken vintage treasure (on the cheap!) to become my next repurposing project. And so, when my eyes fell upon this old washboard that was missing the actual washboard, I knew it was a moment of crafting kismet. It seemed destined for upcycling and would be perfect as primitive decor.Read more ›
Tabletop Version of a Vintage Library Card Catalog
June 1, 2017 · By · 106 Comments
On one of my typical thrifting adventures, I spied this mini chest of drawers near the cash register at the thrift shop. I didn’t really fancy the painted fruit “still life” that covered it, but I WAS curious about the wood underneath the paint. The idea of a “makeunder” floated through my mind as I envisioned a vintage library card catalog as the end result.
Upcycling a Wire Bread Basket into a Woven Bowl
May 4, 2017 · By · 60 Comments
I struck thrifter’s gold the other day (or, more like thrifter’s silver) when I spotted a wire bread basket on the Goodwill shelves. In fact, I spotted SEVERAL wire bread baskets. They were perfectly tarnished (i.e., patina!) and in need of a new purpose in life. As I studied the collection of wire baskets, I pondered the idea of transforming them in various ways.
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