Thrift Store Re-purpose?
We had so much fun with Project: Back-to-School that we challenged ourselves to a thrift store re-purpose project. Don't judge our creations; we are proud of our efforts. What we discovered: it is amazing how little it can cost you to create something new for your home and it can be really challenging to picture the end product when you are standing in the aisles of your local thrift store. Keep in mind, we are not paid to be crafty!
Hilary's Re-purpose:
I started with grand visions in my head for this re-purpose project. It turned out those visions fizzled with time.
This is the after picture of my project. One of my bucket list items was to become more skilled at crafts. I have also always wanted to decorate for the fall holidays but not spend a lot of money. This project was a great way to get my feet wet.
With Halloween right around the corner, I decided to re-purpose my $5 outdoor pillows from the summer. Then I went to Goodwill and purchased two long-sleeved t-shirts. Both shirts were on the 50% off rack. Then I went to Wal-Mart, bought a package of sponge paint brushes and two colors of all purpose paint from the craft section. My Wal-Mart purchases were a total of $5. So, for $10 I created two Halloween inspired decorative pillows. They may go outside or stay in the house. It depends on other staging I think.
Addie's Re-purpose: Candy Holder and Decorative Dish
I am using some thrift store finds...and an everyday item...to make a couple items for my classroom. I found this somewhere on Pinterest and can no longer find it...story of my life!
Materials: spray paint, candle holder (with flat top), door knob, salad dressing jar (or other jar), small baking dish
I did the spray painting outside and I clearly should not quit my day job...it was kind of drippy (I don't care if that is not a real word!). I spray painted all the items blue to match my classroom and then let them dry.
I then hot-glued the jar to the candle stand and the door knob (or drawer knob) to the lid. I was a little shocked at how easy this was and how nice it looked (especially from a distance!).
The fluted baking dish is just meant to hold stuff in my classroom...which is currently rock samples!
I had lots of kids ask about them today (but I really think it was the candy that drew their attention!).
I only spent $.50 on the dish and $.75 on the candy holder...plus the $3.68 spray paint...that is under $5 for two crafty pieces....not too bad!
Shannon's Re-purpose: Mason Jar Mojo
Once again Addie and Hilary have taken me completely out of my comfort zone by asking me to craft anything. Honestly, it has always been my belief that I should purchase items at craft fairs to boost local economy. The idea of crafting seems perfect... relaxing activity with a great product when you are finished, but my crafting never turns out the way I hope. Oh well, at my age, why not give it another try?
After spending countless hours on Pinterest finding a craft that I thought I might be able to complete successfully, I decided to try HGTV DIY Joy's Ombre Tinted Mason Jars in 6 Easy Steps. With only four materials (three of which I already had on hand: glue, small mixing bowls, and food coloring), I thought, how hard can this be? My late summer thrift store adventures allowed me to purchase a box of old glassware (blue wine bottles, mason jars and an odd assortment of glass bottles that might look neat on a small bottle tree) for a steal at $7. (I might have been able to get it a little lower, but I really wanted those blue wine bottles!) Now on to business.
Based on the suggestions, I mixed three bowls containing blue food coloring. Each bowl had varying amounts of blue food coloring. (30 drops, 50 drops and 70 drops) My hope was to get three jars of varying colors. Coating the mason jars seemed to go well and I was hopeful.
Unfortunately when I removed my jars from the oven I had several imperfect drips and creased color edges. At first I was more than a little disappointed, but now that I see them in my classroom window, I feel a little bit better. Their lovely color and bright flowers will remind me that I have the courage to try new things and am lucky to have two friends that challenge me to be a little better each day! LUCKY ME!
