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.
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 - Gail | Purple Hues and Me
Emily | Domestic Deadline - Beverly | Across the Blvd
Lynne | My Family Thyme - Kathleen | Our Hopeful Home
Jenny | Cookies Coffee and Crafts - Allyson | Southern Sunflowers
Chas | Chas' Crazy Creations
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!
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!
We all feel great when a thrift store find ends up looking amazing! But what on earth did I have in mind when I picked up this sad looking brass swan dish - with a dirty patina finish - at my local Goodwill for a few dollars, well before the pandemic struck?
What could I do? I didn't dare paint over the brass! It's such a small piece and the whole essence of the swan would disappear! So why not just clean it up? And that's exactly what I did, using a brass cleaner! It now looks great, don't you think? Restored to its' former glory! But something is missing for this update! Style - Uniqueness?
You've heard of the power of paint, right? Well, what about the power of decoupage? With decoupage, if it doesn't look right, you can just wash it off! Lol! What a fun way to jazz up pieces!
So I looked around in my stash of paper napkins to find a design that would enhance the "feathers" or "wings!" of the swan and its' brass finish! Not seeing anything I liked, I decided to make my own napkin design with a pattern I found online.
To do this, tape a plain white napkin to a sheet of printer paper using painter's tape.
Place in the printer and hit print . . .
to get a lovely paper napkin design! Just like that!
To decoupage, cut off the tape and remove the plain layers from the printed layer.
Smooth the paper napkin on the wet decoupage medium, using a plastic baggy to remove any wrinkles or air bubbles, and let dry. Once the Mod Podge dries, apply at least one more coat on the napkin design to seal the piece. And let it dry completely.
How's this for style and uniqueness!
Adding an aura of extra prettiness!
Perfect as a decorative accent dish with a touch of glamour!
