Thrift Store Wire Basket Update

It's that time again for our monthly Thrift Store Challenge! 

              

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.

Meet the Hosts

Angela | Simply Beautiful By Angela 

 Beverly | Across the Blvd 

 Gail | Purple Hues and Me

Our Thrift Store Upcycle group of bloggers is always 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!

This month I want to share with you the wire baskets I found at my local Goodwill store. There's always an abundance of baskets of different types and styles at the thrift store, but mostly woven rattan types. So I was quite surprised to find a couple of wire baskets perfect to use for just about anything - for $2 and $3! Oh my!

For this challenge, I'm just showing you how I updated just one wire basket - the smaller of the two. Not so sure what I'm going to do with the larger one. It took me awhile to decide how but I settled on just adding fringe for a decorative effect.

The fringe takes the basket to a whole new level of decor! It can turn a tiresome looking piece into a custom accessory. A trendy style that includes the boho look, vintage or shabby chic look, and even the farmhouse look in decor.

So let's get started!

This is all you need to make fringe on this wire basket - Yarn, Scissors, and Ruler (not shown)

I measured where I wanted the fringe to stop and doubled that amount, cutting 9" strips. I didn't know how many I would need to cover the entire top around, so I cut about thirty strips to start but needed a total of 60 to finish.

To add fringe to the wire basket top, make a simple lark's head knot by folding cord together to create a loop over the wire.

Pull ends through the loop around the wire, pulling tight, creating a lark's head knot and the beginning of the fringe. 

Continue making lark's head knots along the entire wire top of the basket to create fringe.

Half-way through .  .  .

Adding the fringe is complete! 

Next, I wanted to add a decorative macrame knot along the handle called a half hitch knot.

This is done by looping the cord around the handle wire, and taking the cord back over itself. Then thread the cord end under and through the loop .  .  .

pulling tight. 

Continue repeating steps to .  .  .

create a lovely design along the handle. 

First one side, tucking the end cord into the handle, and .  .  .

then the other side.

Complete the look by tying yarn bows on the base of the handle on each side.

Looks quite lovely and very trendy, too!

And now for more thrifty goodness!

Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

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Pumpkin Design Candle Holder

 It's that time again for our monthly Thrift Store Upcycle Challenge, hosted by Angela @ Simply Beautiful by Angela! Here, a group of creative bloggers come together to share their lovely transformations of a thrift store item.

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!

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.

Meet the Hosts

Angela | Simply Beautiful By Angela

Beverly | Across the Blvd

Gail | Purple Hues and Me

Allyson | Southern Sunflowers

Marci | Stone Cottage Adventures

Kathleen | Our Hopeful Home

You can find lots and lots of  tchotchkes or knick knacks  in thrift stores.   They're fun to use in decorative settings for just about any season. And I always try to pick up a few each time I'm there. Halloween items are quite popular and plentiful - some quite unique. Take this metal candle holder. It has a rusty finish, but can you see the outline of pumpkins around it? How cool is that - and for a sweet price of 50 cents, too!

To get rid of the residue from rusty metal, wash to remove any dirt and grime. Then spray on a paint + primer like Rustoleum Painter's Touch Ultra Cover. It's an indoor-outdoor spray paint that bonds to wood, metal, plastic and more! 

Once the primer paint was dry, I painted the pumpkin lines with a bright orange multi-purpose acrylic paint. Please excuse the uneven lines. I'm a terrible painter!

What a fun way to update a rusty thrift store piece.

Let's make a decorative decoupage candle to use with the newly updated thrift store candle holder:

Begin by measuring the napkin around the candle and cut out a a piece big enough to wrap the candle. Try wrapping the napkin around the candle to see how the pattern fits. Then cut off any excess napkin paper. 
Next separate the top printed layer from the plain layers. I got this napkin from Target last year. It has only one plain layer to remove.

Because the candle is curved, it's best to apply the napkin in sections to prevent unnecessary wrinkles. Do this by applying a thin layer of Mod Podge using a soft bristle brush over a small portion of the sides of the candle. Place the edge of the paper napkin over the MP, making sure to keep the napkin straight and even. Gently smooth down with hand. 

 Continue applying Mod Podge around the candle and smoothing out sections of the napkin on top .  .  .

 until the candle is completely covered with the napkin.

 Use a plastic baggy or plastic wrap to smooth out any wrinkles on top and let dry.

 Then coat with a layer of Mod Podge to seal and let dry completely.

It's all about the pumpkins!

Candles like this one with decoupaged napkins are decorative and should not be burned. In addition, while Mod Podge is not flammable, items like paper napkins used with this glue may be. However, there is a trick if you want to "burn" your decorated candle.  You can burn thick decoupage candles - by burning until a small well is formed. You'll notice that thick candles burn inside without heating the outer surface too much. But please don't leave them unattended in any event.

And now for more thrifty goodness!

Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Decoupage Watering Can Flower Pot

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.

Who can resist a vintage looking watering can at a thrift store for a great low price? I know I can't! That's why I snatched this one up at a local Goodwill store for three dollars long before the pandemic struck! The thrift stores in my area still haven't opened yet. So I'm very fortunate to have this piece to update for this month's Thrift Store Challenge!

You can find metal watering cans just about everywhere in crafting. Most are painted and then decoupaged. I love the look of "plain ole watering cans" - they remind me of times growing up when I had to "water the plants" for mama! And they came in so many different sizes and types! These days, most watering cans are made of molded plastics and there's not much you can do with them - except water your plants and flowers! But there are still lots of metal cans available, too!

I found these beautiful napkins online and knew right away the picture on them belonged on the watering can I had been holding on to! It was of an old metal can holding a patriotic floral arrangement! Here's how I added the napkin design to the watering can -

Gather together:   

• Galvanized watering can
• Decorative napkin
• Matte mod podge
• Soft small paint brush

And then begin by cleaning and washing the watering can with mild dish detergent to remove any grease and or stains and dry. Next, measure the area around where you want to place the napkin on the can -  about six inches! I had a clear bowl exactly 6" across, so that worked out fine for placing it on the napkin to tear the design out. Sharp edges you get with scissors just wouldn't do for this!

Then separate the design layer of the napkin from the plain layers. 

Next, lay the napkin design down on the outside of the can for fit .  .  .

and apply a layer of matte Mod Podge onto the can surface. 

Place the napkin design on top of the MP, smoothing out from the center to edges using a soft brush.. Apply additional MP while smoothing out wrinkles. 

Sometimes, I like to dip my finger in MP to also help smooth out wrinkles, too.

Using a plastic bag to help smooth any wrinkles out helps also!

Once dry, apply additional layers of Mod Podge to seal. 

I love how the metal shows through the napkin - as if the design is painted on!                                 

Perfect to hold floral arrangements!

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Meet the Hosts

Angela | Simply Beautiful By Angela - Gail | Purple Hues and Me 

Jenny | Cookies Coffee and Crafts - Marci | Stone Cottage Adventures 

 Allyson | Southern Sunflowers - Beverly | Across the Blvd  

 Emily | Domestic Deadline - Kathleen | Our Hopeful Home

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!

And now for more thrifty goodness!
Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter