It's that time again for the monthly Thrift Store Upcycle Challenge, where a group of creative bloggers come together to share their lovely transformations of a thrift store item. Who doesn't love thrift store upcycle projects - whether it's actually creating one or admiring how an item from a thrift store was transformed!
The Rules:
- Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
- There's no monthly theme.
- There's no budget to stick to.
I found this chair pot holder a number of years ago at a friend's yard sale. It looked interesting and a bit unique - I guess that's why I bought it . . .
but it is rather christmassy, don't you think? I could never figure out what to do with it - the pot is actually too small to put a plant or flowers in it - and what type would be appropriate at christmas time? Most holiday flowers and plants are too large for this table top piece. So it sat on a shelf . . . until I needed something from a thrift store, resale store, or yardsale to upcycle for a blog hop happening during a pandemic. Stores like these are on lock-down with no re-opening in sight right now.
To begin updating the pot holder chair, remove the tin motif on the back and take the pot out. I needed something sturdy for the back and decided to decoupage a handmade flower out of soda cans.
First, carefully cut off the end of a clean soda can using a utility knife. You may want to wear gloves for this.
Then, make a vertical cut with craft scissors, cutting to the opposite end . . .
and remove following the line around the can. Cut even edges along the aluminum, removing any slivers or jagged edges.
Smooth out the curve of the can by rolling the aluminum in the opposite direction of the curve. You can also use the edge of a table or countertop to help smooth it out.
To make a flower motif for the back of the chair, find a flower template online large enough to fit on the back - like an 8 petal flower. Then copy, paste, and adjust size in Word. Print image and cut out.
Since the flower was larger than the open aluminum can . . .
cut out one petal from the flower to trace the eight petals, using the tip of an ice pick.
Once all the petals are traced and cut out, cut out a circle from the aluminum for the center of the flower.
Then glue the petals onto the center using a quick grab glue like DAP RapidFuse all purpose adhesive.
Paint both sides of the flower with chalk paint once the glue dries - drying each side in-between coats. The white chalk paint helps to keep the background color of the napkin the same. Any other color would show through.
Then cut out an area of napkin to decoupage and remove the white ply sheets, leaving the printed napkin.
Apply a layer of mod podge to the flower and place the printed napkin on the mod podge, face up.
Smooth out using plastic cling wrap.
Once dry, flip flower over and repeat steps for decoupaging the napkin on the back of the flower.
Once the entire decoupage flower is dry, cut off excess napkin, following the lines of the flower petal edges.
While the decoupage flower is drying, stain the chair with a walnut finish. The metallic gold border on the chair was subdued but not covered with stain.
Once the stain chair and flower were dry, attach the flower to the chair back using quick grab permanent glue.
Next, paint the pot using chalk paint, inside and out and let dry.
Use a torn strip of decorative napkin to decoupage it to the rim of the pot . . .
all around.
What an awesome transformation!
(back of chair)
And now for more thrifty goodness!
Meet the Hosts
Our Thrift Store Upcycle group of bloggers is looking to expand -- and we need your help! Why not consider joining in our thrift store upcycle challenge on the last Thursday of each month? Make some friends while having fun and share your love of DIY with the world. It’s a win-win! Sound like something you’d be interested in? Just leave a comment at the end of this post with your contact info and a link to your blog. Someone will get back to you right away. We can’t wait to meet you!
Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!
