Once Old, Now New Again

This post is dedicated to finding new life and purpose in the everyday items we have around the home by updating them, reinventing them, or giving them new purpose. We all have household relics and treasures that may not serve a purpose anymore or fit into the home as is, but we just aren't ready to part with them yet. Thinking outside of the box and being resourceful can make something once old, new again. Something as easy as a fresh new coat of paint can completely transform a once undesirable piece to a hot new commodity.

Here are just a few examples of our reinvented/repurposed items.

LAMP MAKEOVER:

These well-loved brass table lamps were in need of a fresh update. Repainting them with Rust-oleum Metallic Satin Nickel spray paint and finding new lampshades and finials gave these lamps a fresh, new modern look. To keep the paint from chipping off, I finished it with a coat of Rust-oleum Satin Clear Enamel spray paint.

We found a new home for these in our Guest Bedroom.

ART > INSPIRATIONAL BOARD MAKEOVER:

To personalize the office a little, I was on the search for a memory/inspirational board to display special, memorable, and inspirational items on and serve as my "happy place."

Sometimes taking a look around your home with fresh eyes and a little creativity is all you need to find new life to previously enjoyed objects.

Can you believe this memory and inspirational board (above) used to be this (below)?

This painting had served its time as hubs was finally ready to let go of it... Lucky for me, I was just telling hubs that I was on the search for a cute memory/inspirational board for the office. I had looked at HomeGoods, Target, and a few other places, but nothing jumped out to me. That's when I decided to take a look through the donate pile and happened to come across this little gem which hubs kindly let me destroy (in a good way) and bring back to life. After a little thought and searching through the craft closet, I came up with a plan.

First, I spray painted the art with Rust-Oleum Metallic Satin Nickel spray paint to cover up the old colors, finished with Rust-Oleum Satin Clear Enamel.

I sometimes have a problem with patience and many times jump the gun before projects are dry... Case in point. So I had to clean up the paint marks on the wall and floor before I could continue crafting...

Next I measured and cut 4 squares from this awesome paper (shown below). I had recently discovered this re-stickable/moveable patterned wall-paper from Target that was just waiting for a project... And just like that, a project found its way to the paper!

Then I searched through my ribbon collection (all 4 boxes... I have a slight obsession with ribbon apparently) until I found the perfect ribbon. Back up, I actually found 7 other ribbons that I was going to use first but after measuring, realized I wouldn't have enough if I wanted all the ribbon to be consistent. Determined not to have to go to the store to add to my collection (and also being lazy and not wanting to leave the house in the cold weather), this was all the motivation I needed to find a way to make it work. After going through my ribbon boxes a few more times, I happened to locate 2 spools of this pretty lace ribbon which was perfect for the boards, and bonus, I even had extra ribbon leftover!

After being pleasantly surprised with my ribbon selection, I measured and made marks on the back of each square for where I would hot-glue the ribbon. I measured and cut 12 equal pieces of the ribbon which I then hot glued to the back-side of the art. Why stop there? I also discovered another ribbon in the same color which I decided to add to my boards for a little extra flair and texture.

Racking my brain for clothespins, I then remembered the mini glittered clothespins in my random craft box that I had made previously for a project and held onto "just-in-case". They were just waiting to be put to good use and ended up being perfect for my board.

For the final touches, I added a few photos, cards, scriptures, and memories that were waiting for a home and displayed them on my board. And there you have it... once old (and ready to be donated), made new again! Thanks again hubs for letting me repurpose your once adored artwork! :)

DESK ORGANIZER MAKEOVER:

After my new desk arrived, I realized I needed an organizing tray. I remembered an old, dingy brown organizing tray we had in a pile of stuff to throw. Once again, I grabbed the Rust-oleum Metallic Satin Nickel spray paint and gave it a fresh new look. To keep the paint from chipping off, I finished it with a coat of Minwax Polycrylic Clear Satin Finish spray paint.

WALL UPDATE:

In the entryway, we had a small wall that needed some color/decor, but I just wasn't finding any art pieces that I liked which incorporated all of the colors in the entryway. Solution: Make my own art with custom colors. This was actually much easier to make than it may look. I actually found a variety of round objects and lids and used those to create the circles. When I paint, I rarely have a set plan, as I am more a paint-as-you-go type of gal. I just painted the backgrounds in a few washes with the various colors, and then went to town creating circle art and blending colors as I saw fit. :)

BASKET MAKEOVER:

I searched for quite some time before I finally found baskets with dimensions that would actually fit these 3 spaces. Though I did like the look of the baskets before and the contrast, I decided to give them a minor tweak by painting them as I wanted them to blend in more with the blue chest to make it look like the baskets came with the chest, instead of standing out on their own.

BEFORE:

I used General Finishes chalk paint in Charleton Blue and DIY Paint and mixed the colors to create the color I was looking for.

It's not perfect, but perfect is overrated anyway. The baskets blend in more with the chest, so it's close enough for me.! :)

COMING SOON:

I have many more additions coming soon! Our Whole30 Challenge has taken priority this month, but I'll be adding more to this post shortly!