6 Creative Ways To Transform Ordinary Thrift Store Finds Into Extraordinary Treasures

By: Jourdan Crouch

With these home decorating craft ideas turning ordinary objects into prized possessions is easy.

1. From Old Cable Spool To New Library Table; Courtesy of Miki Duisterhof

image

RELATED: 14 New Ways to Repurpose Old Windows

Step 1: To build this brilliant “bookmobile” - crafted by Halligan Norris Smith and featured in Grace Bonney’s Design*Sponge at Home ($21.24; barnesandnoble.com) - search a commercial salvage yard or sites like eBay for a wooden cable spool (usually under $50). You’ll also need about 12 three-quarter-inch-thick wooden dowels that measure at least as tall as the spool when it’s lying flat on either wheel.
Step 2: Lay the spool on one of its wheels, then use a ruler to measure the distance from the top of the top wheel to the top of the bottom wheel. Use a handsaw to cut the dowels to this size, then sand the spool and dowels.
Step 3: Measure the distance from one wheel’s outer edge to the spool’s core. Divide that number in half.
Step 4: Beginning at the outer edge of the top of the top wheel, measure in the distance computed in Step Three. Mark with a pencil. Repeat around the spool’s circumference, spacing marks an equal distance apart.
Step 5: At each mark, drill all the way through the top wheel, using a three-quarter-inch spade bit. Then, with a hammer, drive a dowel into each hole, until the dowel’s bottom is secured against the bottom wheel. Paint spool and dowels, if desired; let dry.
Step 6: Evenly space three casters ($12 for five; ikea.com) in a triangle pattern atop the top wheel, placing each caster about an inch in from the edge, and drill into place. Flip the spool over and you’re ready to roll.

2. Cane Chair; Courtesy of David Hillegas

image

Give the ubiquitous thrift store find a makeover with a colorful, stitched design:
Step 1: Use a pattern to trace a design onto the chair in pencil.
Step 2: Use a back stitch to thread chunky yarn (available at craft stores) through each opening.
TIP: To maneuver yarn more easily, wrap the ends with tape.

RELATED: 17 Incredibly Creative Ways to Reuse Shipping Pallets

3. Bleach-Splattered Chair; Courtesy of Alison Gootee/Studio D

image

Making over plain cotton upholstery fabric requires nothing more than a household disinfectant and water. Working outside, and wearing protective eyewear and gloves, lay the desired yardage for your project flat on a sheet of plastic. In a measuring cup, mix together ½ cup bleach and ½ cup water. Use a plastic spoon to drib-ble the liquid all over the fabric. When you’re satisfied with the pattern, let dry, then run the fabric through a regular cycle in your washer and dryer. Take it to a local upholsterer (we sent ours to tapemeasuredesign.com)—or use it however you’d like.

4. Print Block Toothbrush Holders; Courtesy of Burcu Avsar

image

Rebecca Proctor offers a novel take on this sink-side necessity in her book Recycled Home ($19.95; Laurence King). To fashion your own, mark a spot on the top of a wooden printing block, available on Etsy for about $6 to $10 apiece. With a drill bit slightly larger than the thickness of your toothbrush, drill vertically into the mark, 1½ to 2 inches deep. (If needed, drill additional holes on either side of your mark to widen it.) Once your toothbrush fits inside, use a smaller drill bit to make a hole in the bottom of the block, directly beneath your first hole. Drill enough so that the two holes meet, allowing water to drain through the block. Finally, protect the wood (inside the holes, too!) with a coat of spray-on resin (Castin’ Craft resin spray, $6.95; tapplastics.com).

RELATED: 9 Crafty Ways To Repurpose Teacups

5. Découpage Trays; Courtesy of Alison Gootee/Studio D

image

These DIY trays recall the wares of artist John Derian—only ours cost just a few bucks a pop:
Step 1: Download the image of your choice (originally from thegraphicsfairy.com) here. Each image is presized to fit the glass trays shown here (narrow, $8.46; 6"W x 12"L; wide, $9.25; 8"W x 11"L; behrenbergglass.com). Use a laser printer to print out the image, at home or at a copy shop.
Step 2: Flip your tray upside down. Spray with glass cleaner and wipe down to remove any fingerprints or residue. With a sponge brush, spread a layer of Mod Podge over the tray’s back side ($5.99 for 8 oz.; plaidonline.com). Place your image, right side down, atop the Mod Podge, then quickly flip the tray right side up and gently center the image. Smooth the paper against the glass, then place the tray wrong side down again. With a clean wine cork, roll out any air bubbles until the paper fully molds to the glass. Let dry 30 minutes.
Step 3: Use Mod Podge to adhere a plain white piece of paper atop and flush against the back of the image. Let dry 30 minutes.
Step 4: Cut away any excess paper around the tray edges with a craft knife. Then, seal the white piece of paper with another layer of Mod Podge. Let dry 30 minutes.
Step 5: Following the instructions of Speedball’s three-part gold-leaf kit, apply adhesive, gold leaf, and sealer to the tray’s back side; then trace around the edges of the tray with a gold-paint marker (Composition Gold Leaf Kit, $10.97; Krylon leafing pen, $6.55; dickblick.com). Let dry.
Step 6: Use your tray to gather trinkets, or mount it, as we did here, with a plate hanger.

6. From Plain Paper To Customized Notepad; Courtesy of Miki Duisterhof

image

Step 1: Select one or more photos and use a program like Photoshop to silhouette and size each image so that it measures about 2 ½ inches high. If desired, apply a filter to achieve a colorful tint, like the red at left. Place one image in the bottom right corner of a horizontal Microsoft Word document. To create two notepad pages per sheet, align a duplicate of that image (or use a different one) along the bottom edge of the document, just left of center, according to your on-screen ruler. (Repeat on separate pages, as desired.)
Step 2: Print out enough 8 ½"W x 11"L sheets (at least 20) to make a pad; stack, then cut in half. To form a backing for the pad, cut out an 8 ½"W x 5 ½"L piece of cardboard.
Step 3: Stack and align the pages with the cardboard piece at the bottom. Clamp the stack together on the left and right sides, near the top, with binder clips.
Step 4: Using a paintbrush, apply a thin layer of Aleene’s Tacky Glue ($2.99 for eight ounces; amazon.com) across the top of the notepad, making sure to completely cover both the paper and cardboard backing. Let dry for two hours before adding a second layer. Let dry again, then remove clamps before using.

More from CountryLiving.com:
46 Cheerful & Fun Craft Projects for Spring
6 Borderline Brilliant Ways to Use an Old Baking Sheet
12 Easy Crafts with Clothespins