It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to beautifully decorate your home for Christmas. Here are some tips and tricks you can use for your Christmas thrift store makeovers.
Now is the time of the year people are going through their Christmas decorations, and donating items they no longer use. I love to browse through the thrift store to see what treasures I can find and possibly give some new life to.
Christmas Thrift Store Makeovers
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My first stop was Goodwill. They had an abundance of Christmas items just waiting for a new home.
The first item that caught my eye was this beautiful metal Christmas tree candle holder.
I thought $5 was a great price for such a sturdy piece that will surely last a long time.
The candle ring was a little outdated, but I loved the design with the stars and candy canes. I disassembled the piece and gave it a thorough cleaning with a one part vinegar two part water solution. This will remove any dirt or grime to prep it for paint. This solution also worked great on cleaning the glass votive.
I spray painted it with two thin coats of a matte black spray paint that I already had on hand. Once dry, I applied a tiny amount of Gold Leaf Rub N Buff to the stars and candy cane. I used a mini flocked wreath that was on sale from Hobby Lobby and added a few additional Christmas picks and pine cones. Here is the result.
I added a battery operated votive candle to illuminate a soft warm glow.
This would look great on a side table or even as a centerpiece.
Grapevine Stars
On the bottom shelf at Goodwill, I luckily found 6 mini grapevine star wreaths.
I immediately knew what I wanted to do with these beauties. Starting by removing all of the embellishments and placing the greenery and red berries in a basket. I can use these on future projects. (it’s not hoarding if you use them😂). The berries were a little too bright for what I had in mind.
Using a brass gold bell pick from Hobby Lobby, I removed the bells and placed one in the center of each of the stars. Attached three of the stars together to form a set and embellished each one with greenery, a darker burgundy berry stem, and frosted greenery pieces and added a new bow at the top.
I created two sets, one to hang under each of the lights on the sides of my garage door. I used metal clips that are safe to use on vinyl siding and doesn’t require you to put a hole on the outside of your house.
With just a few slight changes, I think these turned out gorgeous.
Reindeer Center Piece
This gold pillar candle tray was surely a pleasant find.
It was also a labor of love to remove all of the greenery and berries because they were firmly pressed into styrofoam. The styrofoam was attached to the tray with what seemed like silicone. After about 20 minutes, I was able to remove everything and give it a good cleaning with my vinegar water solution.
It was a nice surprise to find three reindeer hidden behind all of the florals. Just like the tree candle holder project, I sprayed two thin coats of matte black spray paint. Once dry, I applied Gold Leaf Rub N Buff around the rim of the candle stands, the tray itself, and the edges of each of the deer. Also, I added in fresh new greenery picks and pine cones. Using remote control battery operated candles to top this piece off.
This will make the perfect center piece for my dining room table this Christmas season.
Did I mention that I only paid $5 for this piece? The greenery and pine cones really compliment the freshly painted reindeer.
If you would like to watch the full step by step tutorial, see my YouTube video below.
Want to see more thrift flips? I think you will like this post. Click HERE
Want your home to look expensive without breaking the bank? Try out these high end decor dupe DIY’s on a dollar budget.
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If your like me, I love to browse through high end stores, but every time I pick up an item to look at the price tag….I gasp and quickly tell myself, I can make that for a lot less. With the cost of everything sky rocketing these days, I can’t afford to spend $60 on wall art, or $100 on a lamp. Today I will show you how I created 5 decor dupes on a dollar store budget. Once your finished reading, make sure to leave me a comment at the bottom of the page letting me know which one was your favorite❤️
Photo Frame Ladder Decor Dupe
The first inspired piece was a beaded photo frame collage ladder at Kirkland’s originally priced at $79.99
On a recent trip to Dollar Tree, I came across 4X4 beaded wood photo frames. Even though I quickly purchased 5 of them, I will only be using 4 for this project. I saved the fifth one to do a separate project with.
You will also need 4 wooden garden stakes from Dollar General. They sell these for $1 a piece. I thought I could make this using three garden stakes, but you will need the fourth one to complete the project.
Cut two of the garden stakes down to 34 3/4″ each, then cut five 8″ pieces using the other two garden stakes.
Make sure to give each one a good sanding because this wood is pretty rough.
Measuring from the left hand side, make a mark on each of the 8″ pieces at 1 5/8″ and 6 3/8″, try to mark them in the center of the wood pieces, like this.
Using a 5/16ths drill bit, drill a hole through each of your marks. Make sure to place these on another block of wood to protect your work surface.
You will likely have to re sand these to clean the holes up.
Lay your two 34 3/4″ garden stakes side by side and make a mark at the following measurements: 1″, 9″, 17″, 25″, and 33″
Using these marks, you can line up your 8″ pieces and glue the ends to your larger garden stakes using wood glue. Make sure your holes are on the sides as you glue them down, as seen here:
To make sure your glue seals well to each piece, clamp the pieces together and let the glue set up for several hours.
The Frame Is Complete!
You can paint or stain your project your desired color. I preferred the natural wood look, and the beaded wood frames match perfectly with the garden stakes, so I didn’t paint or stain mine. Using Dollar Tree nautical rope, feed one end through each hole on one side and tie a knot.
Pull the rope from left to right to tighten as you go and tie another knot at the opposite end.
Once that side is complete, add the nautical rope to the other side the exact same way. To attach the frames to the nautical rope, apply hot glue lining the beaded portion up with the nautical rope.
Try to keep the frames centered in each section as you add all four frames.
If you prefer, you can also add staples to the back to secure the frames to the rope.
You are still able to access the backing of each frame and change your photos out.
The Final Result
We were able to create this for $10.25 verses the high end stores price of $79.99!
Pampas Grass Beaded Frame Decor Dupe
Our next decor dupe costs $89.99 at Kirkland’s, however we can create something at a fraction of that cost.
Granted our dupe will not be the exact same size as the inspiration piece because we are using an 11X14 frame from Dollar Tree.
To give this the antique gold look, you could spray paint the frame or use Folk Art’s Metallic Antique Gold acrylic paint like I did. This really helped to bring out the details on the edge of the frame.
For the fabric backing, we will be using a flour sack. You can purchase a pack of two at Dollar General.
Add a layer of Mod Podge to the glass and allow it to fully dry.
My Favorite Way To Use Mod Podge, Leaving No Wrinkles!
Set the glass onto a heat protective mat, lay your flour sack on top of the side of the glass with the dry Mod Podge. Set a piece of parchment paper over the flour sack. Using a small iron, gently and carefully go over the parchment paper to adhere the flour sack to the glass. I have my iron set on around 300 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat from the iron will “reactivate” the Mod Podge allowing the fabric to seal to the glass.
Give the glass time to cool down, flip it over and set it on a cutting board. Using a utility knife, carefully remove the excess fabric from the edges.
You could reinsert this into the frame and continue, however I didn’t like the stark white look of the fabric.
To really make the fabric stand out, I painted it with a coat of chalk paint in the color French Linen. Because the chalk paint is fairly thick, you may want to water it down a bit to avoid streaking and clumps.
Allow time for the paint to fully dry before reinserting into the frame. The paint gave the fabric a velvety look.
Using some pampas grass that I already had in my craft room. I gave it a good shake to remove any loose particles. To help it hold its shape, I lightly misted both sides with hair spray. You can find similar pampas grass at Amazon.
Once you have your desired shape, simply glue the grass bundle to the fabric using hot glue or the glue of your choice.
Because I already had the pampas grass and paint on hand, this project cost me less than $3.00 to make.
Metal Milk Can Decor Dupe
The farmhouse style is definitely what I have always gravitated toward. This distressed galvanized metal milk can is no exception. It is absolutely gorgeous and only $15.99, but is no longer available.
Luckily, I have a metal cookie container that resembles the shape. This is a true trash to treasure project.
After removing the label and giving this a thorough cleaning, I took it outside and gave it two light coats of a high gloss white spray paint.
To achieve the distressed galvanized look, I used a piece of a bath sponge from Dollar Tree, a dry brush, and Folk Art’s Metallic Acrylic paint in the color gun metal gray.
I started at the top rim using the dry brush, applying paint to all of the rims including the handles.
To achieve the larger galvanized areas, I used the sponge piece and lightly dabbed the paint in all the areas that I thought looked good.
This project did not cost me anything, because I already had all the supplies! By giving this container new life, we saved it from the landfill.
High End Lamp Decor Dupe
This project was inspired by two high end lamps. I love the color of the Charcoal Lamp at Kirkland’s, which they are asking $129.99 for. But I love the shape of the Composite Lamp at Wayfair for $235.99.
About 4 years ago, I turned a glass bottle into a lamp. If your interesting in watching that video, here is the link.
As much as we have enjoyed the faux marble look, it was definitely time for a change. To prep for paint, I wrapped all the parts that I did not want paint to get on with painters tape.
I found this beautiful textured spray paint at Lowes. It was perfect because it had tiny white speckles in it.
Because textured spray paint costs more than regular matte spray paint. I applied two thin coats of the cheaper paint to the lamp first and allowed that to dry over night.
The next day, I applied two coats of the textured spray paint, going in several different directions.
I love the final result! It gave my DIY lamp a higher end and more modern look. And it only cost me one bottle of textured spray paint.
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If you prefer to watch the step by step tutorial, click my YouTube video below.
Is it the thrill of hunting for that hidden gem, or the savings? For me it is both! I love to go thrift shopping and get so excited when I find some amazing pieces at rock bottom prices. I know they look a little rough around the edges, but with just a little work and elbow grease, you can transform it into a beautiful piece of decor. Sometimes with just a simple coat of paint, you can really bring new life into a piece. And that is just what I did for these 3 thrifted items. To see what they looked like before and to see the full tutorial on all three pieces, check out my YouTube video at the end of this post.
The first item I made over was a wine carafe that I purchased for only $1. I sprayed two coats of Krylon Fusion Spray Paint in the Color Matte White , you can find here: https://amzn.to/3f8YSYf added some black chalk paint and a few greenery stems, turning this used wine bottle into a gorgeous farmhouse decor piece.
The second gem I found, was a small picnic basket. When I picked it up, I could just image flowers and greenery bursting from inside, as if it were growing out of the basket. There wasn’t a price tag, so I was a little skeptical went I went to the register to ask how much it was. To my surprise, it was only $1. What a steal. Using the same Krylon Fusion Matte White Spray paint, and adding buffalo check ribbon, this basket turned from drab to fab.
Adding simple greenery, lavender, and babies breath, and it is just what I imaged it would look like when I originally picked it up.
And the third piece was truly a hidden treasure. Tucked away on the bottom of a shelf was a wooden piece, that I was unsure what it even was. Once I picked it up, I realized it was a charging station. Not just any charging station either, this piece sells on Wayfair for $49, and I purchased this one for $3. Now that’s a bargain. Using the same spray paint and simply adding a decal I made with the Cricut Joy, and now I have a gorgeous, high end, farmhouse charging station to hide all of those messy cords. If you like this decal, don’t forget to check out my free printable page here https://wordpress.com/post/countrylilydecor.com/179 You can print this design out and trace onto your project.
I am pleased with how my thrifted items turned out. I hope you are inspired to create something beautiful for your home on a budget. For the detailed tutorial, see my video below. Take care everyone, xoxo Barbara
