Mr. Blu likes a nice variety of whiskey. I’m not a big fan of the smokey Old standard unless it is sweetened and flavored and disguised like Apple Crown. And I’ve developed a liking to flavored brandy. There’s nothing quite so shocking as sitting down to sip some Apple Crown, taking that first relaxing sip, and grimacing because you’ve got your palette full of Woodford Reserve. So, I decided to avert future disasters by making liquor bottle labels or tags for our decanters.

We had developed a bit of a whiskey and bar selection during Covid. As a blogger who is constantly trying to improve the aesthetic in my home, those bottle lined up in the kitchen became an eyesore. Does your liquor shelf look like this?

So last year, I dug out the glass and crystal decanters that were stored in the buffet, boxes, and closets around the house. I had collected these when I had my antiques and consignment store, The Blue Building. The decanters were some of the items I decided not to part with so they were in boxes in the garage.

I decided to store the more commonly enjoyed liquors in the decanters. Specialty selections would stay in their original bottles on the shelf. As you can see, my first attempt at creating labels didn’t go so well.

I used adhesive backed labels that I had picked up some time ago. They were probably too old as they curled up a bit.

I even tried to label directly on the glass with a paint marker. Ugly!

The stickers didn’t work so well on the glass and some even fell off.

And the white marker that I used didn’t create crisp letters. What a mess! I needed something that would stay put and look like it was not created in a kindergarten class.

Liquor Bottle Label Examples

I checked out the price of actual tags on Amazon and found the average price to be around $20 for 6 tags. They had liquor tags made of metal, in silver, and gold, liquor sticker labels, a nice little variety. That could get pricey with the small but varied selection on our bar top. Isn’t that why we DIY? So, I will make some DIY liquor bottle tags.

I am sharing this little project as part of the monthly Creative Craft Hop. Thank you to Donna at Modern on Monticello for hosting this month. Give her some extra love by lingering on her pages for more fabulous inspiration. If you are visiting from Sarah’s over at Birds of a Feather, welcome! I know you enjoyed Sarah’s project. Who doesn’t love a little crochet activity? Let’s get on with creating some liquor bottle labels.

Creating a Liquor Bottle Label Design

I used the graphics option in Pic Monkey to select a few designs. I decided to start simple with just a basic design of simple fonts on white background with black lettering. I can always up my game later. In my DIY world, I always start simple, learn the process, and then elevate.

I started with the whiskey since there was a great variety and then I added the flavored vodkas.

I ordered these chains from Amazon. They are 4″ long and easily snap together to increase the chain length. I used 2 for each tab.

They had many option for color. I chose this brown because I thought it resembled copper. Turns out they really look like brown but I do like the unexpected color.

I printed the graphic design and cut out the tags.

I made a few blanks.

I bought this little laminator back when I had my store. I think I have used it once. It has a variety of laminating sheets to choose from…normal page size, 5X7 for photos, and a wallet size too.

After figuring out how the heck it operated, I was able to laminate my tags.

I poked two holes in each tag and threaded the chain through each tag. I didn’t want to spend $ on a new hole punch for a tiny hole so I just used some small pointy embroidery scissors.

The chains are the right size and slip over the decanter necks very easily.

I made tags for the brands that we normally enjoy but made a few blanks that I can write on with a Sharpie.

I used a decanter that belonged to my Mom. I remember this being in our dining room but always empty. I think it is from the 1970’s.

And now I see them all of the time. I had this one in storage from my shop.

This vintage duo came from my store.

As did this one.

And this was an anniversary gift to Mom and Dad on their 25th Wedding Anniversary. Don’t mind the wonky Peach brandy label. I tried to use the label from the original bottle but the pieces wanted to move position when the ran through the laminator. I will make another label to replace this one.

I even made a few label for the guys on the bench. It’s important to be ready when you are called up!

And I still have a decanter or two to fill but I need to make a stopper for this one.

And here is the gang all ready for the party.

Below are the 5 moreprojects for this month’s Creative Craft Hop. Next, on the tour is this month’s lovely host, Donna. Be sure to leave some comments and show the creators some love! Thanks for stopping by.

How to Make Liquor Bottle Tags

Painting Mini Chairs For Shelf Decor

How to Cover an Acrylic File Organizer with Decorative Paper

Crochet Leaf Earrings

Upcycle Picture Frames to Trays

How to Crochet a Cozy Tablet Case

The post How to Make Liquor Bottle Tags appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Once you find a great piece of curbside gold, your eye will forever scour the curb on trash day. This beauty was just sitting atop a pile of branches. I heard a very faint “SAVE ME” as I passed. So, I hit the brakes and loaded her into the van. A metal outdoor side table can last many many years. And when the base is constructed of wrought iron, she may just last a lifetime or two.

If I am upcycling, recycling, repurposing, or restyling dated decor, you know it it time for the Thrift Store Decor Team monthly posts. Join us here every second Wednesday of the month to see what we have restored/repurposed this month! You will find direct links to all TEN projects at the end of this post.

Each spring I upcycle some planters or table on our deck. I remain pretty consistent with the colors. Of course, my base color is almost always blue, usually a teal. And I will add a variety of accent colors depending on what flowers I have found so far at local nurseries.

I really wanted some fabulous color in this table so I decided to try the paint pour technique. This is my first time trying paint pour. I was quite surprised to discover that there are many different techniques, products, and styles. I started, appropriately, with simple. My plan was to add the paint, tilt the table and see what this created. Just the basics.

Prep Your Piece

As always, I started by cleaning my table. I gave the wrought iron base a good wiping to remove any dust and surface dirt. I just wiped with a work glove. It worked pretty well.

The base was in great shape with minimal surface rust so Rustoleum was a good choice.

The base has really great features.

Then I sprayed the base with my go to spray paint, Rustoleum. Their hammered metal comes in a nice variety of colors. I chose brown to blend with our deck furniture. I have a little wire shelf that I use for all of my spray paint projects. I just set the project piece on top and apply a coat of spray paint. I let it dry, rotate the piece, and repeat until the entire surface is painted.

I allowed this to dry overnight. I wanted to make sure that the paint had cured because I would be taping off the base to ensure that the table top paint would not pour onto the newly painted base.

Rustoleum does not disappoint.

The next day I used brown craft paper and frogtape to mask off the entire base and the rim of the table top.

I made certain that the FrogTape was secure and left no spaces through which paint could seep.

It was not pretty but it was efficient.

Next, I prepped the wooden surface of the table top with a base coat. I used Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint in Clean Canvas.

After this dried, it was time to pour on the white acrylic.

Commence the Paint Pour

I ordered the acrylic paint from Amazon. I decided on a background coat of white and found this larger 32 oz. volume white for the background color.

I grabbed this variety pack of 18 great colors. Bonus as it was from one of my favorite suppliers, DecoArt. If you need paint for any craft project…DecoArt is your source.

Aren’t these bold colors fabulous?

It was so difficult to narrow down the colors but I decided on:

• Ultra Blue Deep
• Ocean Blue
• Bahama Blue
• Purple Pizzazz
• Royal Fuschia
• Coral Blush
• Cadmium Yellow

I watched a few tutorials but tried to stay with the basic beginner projects. Some of the instructions recommended using Floetrol to keep the paint fluid and extend the drying time to manipulate the color across the surface. While I did have Floetrol on hand, I really wanted to start with the basics and try a simple approach on this first project. Yes, I was fairly certain going in that this would be the first of many paint pour projects.

So I did not use the Floetrol and I did not have a problem in applying the white.

Once I had all of the white added, I lifted the edge of the table closest to me and tilted it at a steep angle. The paint immediately began to run toward the opposite edge.

Once the paint ran over the edge, I set my side of the table down and grabbed the adjacent edge. I followed the same process until the top was covered with paint.

I did add a bit more white at one point to cover one of the edges. But the process was easy.

The paint did seem to be drying quickly so I was a little worried about adding the bright colors.

What I did not do, was photograph the process of adding the colors. I was a bit nervous that the paint would dry and I would be stuck with a bunch of wonky circles. It was also difficult to stop the process to grab the phone for phots since it was a quite messy. Next time I will try to set up video because even using the remote shutter gadget would entail messy fingers on my equipment and I was not going there.

My design was basically as follows:

• I put a large circle of blue in the center.
• Added smaller light blue around the large blue circle.
• Added more teal circles.
• Made a few squiggly lines randomly in
• Added some random small dots of purple, pink and yellow.

I used a skewer and pulled it through the circles to add dimension and disperse the colors across the table top. Then I started the tilt process.

I repeated the table tilt process until the color had dispersed to my liking.

I was careful to make sure the sides were covered completely as the paint ran over the edge of the table top.

There were six sides on this table so I checked them all.

I turned on the ceiling fan and left her in the room to dry overnight.

The Frogtape came off easily and there was minimal paint seepage.

And she looks great on the deck.

Another Mia approved project.

This technique has peaked my interest:

• I am interested to learn how to make different designs.
• One tutorial said to add rubbing alcohol to some of the colors to create a more dramatic effect (the paint would separate creating a different visual).
• Small projects would be really fun.
• I can see a resin finish for indoor projects.
• So many possibilities.

Cheers!

Shop at Blu Metal Outdoor Side Table Upcycle

Exquisitely Unremarkable DIY Decal Pitcher Makeover

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Easy Decorative Moss Balls for Spring

Redhead Can Decorate How I Transformed Our Foyer with a Thrift Store Room Divider

Sadie Seasongoods Geometric Abstract Art from a Collage Frame

Our Southern Home Piano Bench Makeover with New Color and Fabric

My Repurposed Life Can This Become a Lamp?

Funky Junk Interiors Rustic TV Stand Dresser Makeover with Easy Wood Strip Drawers

Our Crafty Mom DIY Rope Vase Pottery Barn Dupe

Songbird Vintage Tool Decor Idea

The post Metal Outdoor Side Table Upcycle appeared first on Shop at Blu.

I did an organizing challenge a few years back and it was quite successful. The list was extensive. What’s nice is that you can simply select an item or two off of the list. Every little task helps. It’s great if you can follow the entire list but who can do that? Not me!

I tackled three major cluttered areas in my home. Here are the original posts.

Kitchen Pantry and Silverware Drawer

Kitchen Drawers and Cupboards

Linen Closet and Bathroom

Since those posts, I have further embraced my local dollar store as well as Amazon for some reasonable priced accessories that help keep my areas organized.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Appliance Sliders

I keep your coffee maker on the kitchen counter under the cabinets. Every morning, we have to pull it forward about 10 inches to fille the water reservoir because there is not proper clearance to lift the lid under the cabinets. This little slider makes that process easier.

I even found it in white!

Appliance Casters

The sliding board may seem a little clunky so I found these small sliders. You can attach them to the bottom of your coffee maker. These work great on my air fryer which is the size of a toaster oven.

Airtight Storage Containers

I ordered these airtight containers from Amazon or Walmart. I’ve accumulated quite a nice selection of sugars and flours for baking. I uses these for almond flour, coconut flour, swerve, brown swerve, protein powders (vanilla, chocolate and strawberry), self rising flour, all purpose flower, regular sugar, etc.

I grabbed some of these as well. They really have a phenomenal airtight seal!

Label maker

I stumbled across this special price on a Brother P-Touch label maker. Who doesn’t need one of these? I use this to label all of the flours and sugars and baking supplies in my kitchen cupboard. And another favorite use is label shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and moisturizers when traveling. These labels perfectly eliminate confusion!

These plastic bins are great in the cupboard for protein shakes, breakfast bars, small snacks, baking supplies, etc. I need to get some smaller ones to sort out our medicine cabinet. I’ve also started using them in the refrigerator to keep salad supplies and vegetables together. They are also great for staging meal supplies. Put everything in one bin and you grab it all in one swoop.

You’ve probably heard of many of these items but I thought I would share my favorites because you never know! I hope this little read gave you some ideas. We need all of the help we can get in trying to keep all of the balls in the air.

Happy Organizing!

And Happy Spring!

The post Revisiting Kitchen, Pantry, and Closet Organization appeared first on Shop at Blu.

I’ve been saving wine bottles for quite some time. You know the sentiment…”That’s a great bottle! I should use that for something.” And the stash pile grows. Well, we had a taste of deck season this past week so today is the day to use those wine bottles. Let’ make a wine bottle centerpiece!

Originally, I wanted to use these bottles in our fireplace. We have a gas fireplace but have never used it. 24 years in this house and we’ve never used the fireplace. I guess these mild Alabama winters just don’t call for a good roaring fire…says the Pennsylvania born girl.

When I got down into the fireplace, it was not so pretty. The walls, as many fireplace are, is soot stained. I considered painting it for this project but I’d rather do it right than do it quickly. When I rush a project, I usually end up redoing it. Do it right, not fast, correct? The fireplace restore will fall in line for proper attention. DIY is ugly sometimes, like this firebox.

So, my wine bottles will be used a a table centerpiece instead.

Prep Your Project Piece

With any project, prep is key. So, I washed the bottles and removed the labels. Here is a link to a previous post on How to Remove Labels from Glass Bottles. You will find some great tips on how to CLEAN old bottles as well.

Once the bottles were clean and dry, I lined them up to be cut. My plan was to cut them at different heights to lend dimension and interest to the centerpiece.

TOOLS

I did some research and ordered a bottle cutting kit from Amazon.

It came with everything needed to cut your bottles, including safety gloves!!

Proper safety gear is so important! Wear the gear!

I assembled my new tool and started scoring the bottles. The instructions said to score once and not score over the original mark. This is to ensure a clean cut. Jagged glass edges are scary.

The bottle cutter is adjustable so I made those adjustments for the larger and smaller bottles. The green bottles are wine bottles and the brown bottles are beer bottles.

Once my bottles were scored, I took my show outside to the deck. I had boiled water in a teapot.

And I filled a tall vessel (a wine chilling bucket) with ice water.

I held the bottle over a bowl and poured the boiling hot water over the score mark rotating the bottle so that the water was flowing over the entire score mark.

I poured over the score mark for 20 seconds and then immediately submerged the bottle into the ice water.

After a few seconds, I could feel the bottle jump as the score gave way and the bottle split in two.

The first bottle snapped cleanly. The second didn’t snap right away so I wiggled it and tapped the chilling bucket with the bottle. It did snap but the snap was not clean.

The next time a bottle didn’t snap immediately, I moved it back to the boiling water pour and repeated the process. This time, it did snap when submerged into the ice water. Don’t rush the process, just repeat. Good life advice: don’t wiggle and trust the process.

Finishing the Bottles

Once my wine bottles were all cut, I sanded the edges with fine grit sandpaper to remove the sharp edges.

Be sure to wear the gloves as the glass is quite sharp.

Even with the gloves, be gentle and careful in sanding.

Once all of my bottles were cut, I dried them all.

I grabbed some votive candles.

I arranged the bottles on a riser at the center of the table.

I dropped a lit votive candle into each bottle and arranged them on the table. Voila…a centerpiece!

Of course I had to see how this would look on our dining table.

I like it!

And, lastly…the soot covered firebox…

Not too bad! But definitely on the project list!

Mia approves!

And here are this month’s projects from the TEAM!

Thrift Store Cat Boxes-Decoupage Makeover

Style a Classic Coffee Table with Thrifted Items

How To Age Terracotta Pots

Wine Bottle Centerpiece

How to Apply Gold Leaf to Canvas

Vintage Suitcase Storage Cabinet

DIY Outlet Cover Picture Frame

Free Home Decorating Ideas Using Colored Glass Vases

The post Wine Bottle Centerpiece appeared first on Shop at Blu.

It’s March! This Irish Catholic gal feels compelled to fashion a craft in honor of my Irish Heritage. So I popped into the local Dollar Tree in search of some fabulously inexpensive supplies with which to create a new wreath for St. Patrick’s Day. I should have visited last month as there really wasn’t much fab left in the realm of wreath supplies. They had the normal green leis and flowers and little black pots. Even the ribbon was not so special. Then I saw them. These little bags of colored stones.

Sure, most folks use them as vase fillers. I admit that I’ve always turned my nose up at them. But, today, I’m envisioning stained glass shimmering in the sun. I’ve got my inspiration so let’s get that St. Patrick’s Day Wreath going.

I grabbed a few other supplies including these gaudy gold picks. I’m not sure if I will use them but let’s see where the project takes us!

This project is part of the Creative Craft Hop brought to you on the second Tuesday of every month by a fabulous group of talented crafters. Each month, we share our projects and provide a sweet little collection for you to browse through!

Welcome to this month’s the Creative Craft Hop! Are you ready for some new projects? Thanks to Sara at Birdz of a Feather for hosting this month. If you are following along and just arrived from visiting Gail at Purple Hues and Me, I know you just loved the beautiful colors in Gail’s project. All of the other projects are listed for you at the end of my project. So, let’s get creating!

The Plan

If you’re familiar with my style, you know I love love love colored glass and stained glass. My goal is to affix these stones to a wreath that I can hang in the sunlight where the colors will dance. I’m not so sure how practical this is but let’s give it a try. I have a sunny kitchen with a glass door just waiting for some Irish green.

Supplies

• wire wreath
• 4 bags of floral stones
• hot glue gun and glue sticks
• safety finger tips
• ribbon
• medium sized beads
• floral tape

I know that these stones will probably make my wreath rather heavy.

So, I will have to make sure that they are really secured onto the wire frame.

I used some floral tape and wrapped the wire frame to provide a flat surface for the stones.

Ready to start attaching the gems.

I grabbed my Ryobi cordless glue gun.

And these silicone finger tip protectors.

Glue guns are HOT and will burn your skin!!! Take precaution and use these protectors. I promise, you (and your finger tips) will thank me!

Then I just started to glue the stones to the frame.

I’d dab 3-5 stones with hot glue and then plop them onto the frame. I started with one layer and then glued more stones in a second layer to fill the spaces.

NOTE: I did not heed my own advise (see photo above) and I DID BURN MY FINGERS!

Eventually, I made my way around the wreath.

It takes some time but just continue around the wreath filling the holes with gems.

I had bought those gaudy gold floral picks but decided to go with a simple ribbon that reminded me of Irish lace.

And here she is…

I’m not sure if I like the longer bow or the shorter bow.

As promised, here are the other projects.  Cecilia from My Thrift Store Addiction is next with a some fabulous chalkboard tips.

Thanks for stopping by and remember to come back next month for more inspiration.

Handpainted Printed Crocus Design Vase

Leather Earrings with Soda Can Beads

Dollar Store St. Patrick’s Day Wreath – That’s me.  YOU ARE HERE!

The Easy Way to Create Decorative Chalkboards

DIY Boho Wall Decor with Floral Stems

The post Dollar Store St. Patrick’s Day Wreath appeared first on Shop at Blu.

For some reason, I am drawn to primitive and natural wood. So when I stumbled across this lovely vintage wood wall pocket in Johnson City, Tennessee I had to have it. She has been waiting patiently for her turn at being styled for my home. Today is the day!

I mean, exactly what is it???!! Functionally, I am seeing two dough bowls (actually two halves of two different dough bowls) mounted onto a piece of wood. I assume it’s original purpose was to hold dough in these partial bowls…in the kitchen. I suppose that is correct.

Here are the search results for “dough bowl shelf”.

Not really the same thing. And this is the result for “dough bowl shelf”.

I guess we will just call it something in between…a vintage wood wall pocket.

It’s Thrift Store Decor Team Wednesday so we are sharing our recycles and upcycles. This beauty fits right in. I won’t be using this for my dough. But I will be be repurposing it in my home.

Be sure to check out all of the team projects at the end of this post. We have some fantastic projects for you this month.

The Beauty of Wood

Whenever possible, I do love to leave beautiful vintage wood items in their natural state. So I didn’t want to paint this. It’s a lovely finish so I will just be feeding the wood and reviving the original look.

She’s in fabulous shape so I will just lightly sand a few of the mars and then feed the wood and shine her up.

Every Vintage Wood Wall Pocket Needs a Bath

Every revamp project piece needs a good bath. I cleaned the unit with warm soapy water. Then I grabbed very fine sandpaper to lightly sand the surface mars, which were just rub spots.

I just lightly sanded away the marks which were all surface scrapes and mars.

After sanding, she needed another bath to remove the dust particles from the sanding process. I wiped the entire piece again with warm soapy water.

Most of the marks had come right off!

Next, it was time to feed the wood. Hemp oil keeps the wood healthy and beautiful. And, it is all natural. The hemp oil will fill those sanding marks right in!

I applied a generous coat to the entire wall unit with a clean cotton cloth.

You can instantly see how the hemp oil refreshes the wood. The wood is immediately richer and brighter as it soaks in the hemp oil.

I let the wood absorb the oil for a few hours. Then I wiped off the excess and used a cotton rag to buff the surface.

Isn’t she beautiful?

My intention was always to hang this beautiful vintage wood wall pocket on the wall and fill her with lovely plants. Perfect, right??

A Few Other Tribute to Wood Projects

Here are a few past projects that focused on wood restoration.

Finding Inserts to Fit the Bowls

A while back, I found these plastic containers at the thrift store.

I knew they would be perfect to set inside the bowls as planters.

There were a few sizes.

The price sure was right!

The only problem was that they were not form fitted to the bowls so they did not sit flush and wiggled around a bit.

The bottoms were flat. I was worried that water might spill from the planters. So I needed to secure them.

I grabbed some Great Stuff and used that to make the containers fit snugly into the bowls.

I did line the wood bowls with plastic wrap because I wasn’t sure if the Great Foam would damage the wood as it is a petroleum based product.

It didn’t damage the wood, but it also didn’t dry very well. the product needs air to completely dry, which makes sense. The top and sides had hardened but not the section under the bowl.

So I peeled off the plastic and allowed the product to dry properly.

The containers popped in and out freely but sat quite snugly in the bowls.

I used spray paint that was left over from a Lantern project to spray the great foam to make it blend with the color of the wood.

Houseplants need good drainage so I grabbed some small stones and pebbles from the yard…

Some potting soil from the garage…

Added some plants from around the house…

When you are a plant lover, there are always plants to split up and repot.

And new planters to create.

In this case, 2 new planters.

I added some spanish moss around the edge of the bowls to cover the Great Foam filler.

I screwed the wall unit into the wall and secured it using a few washers.

I dabbed some craft paint over the washers to make them blend.

And now I have a lovely wall planter in my living room.

I do believe I need a few more of these around the house!

My Repurposed Life Thrift Store Basket Makeover

Funky Junk Interiors DIY Window Wood Coffee Table With Storage

Redhead Can Decorate Gorgeous Thrift Store Gold Framed Floral Print

Shop At Blu Modern Use for a Vintage Wood Wall Pocket

Sadie Seasongoods  Chic and Upcycled Light Shades

Songbird Easter Bunny Treat Bags

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Aged Stone Planter

Our Crafty Mom How to Make a DIY China Plate Wreath

Exquisitely Unremarkable Tin Top Wall Clock

The post Modern Use for a Vintage Wood Wall Pocket appeared first on Shop at Blu.

I have seen the most lovely vintage Christmas glitter ornaments. You know the ones with the little retro elf on a round paper ornament outlined by silver tinsel? Or the cute little festive pixie in the Santa skirt? I missed the window for Christmas. Let’s make some for Valentine’s Day!

This month, I am joining a new group of blogger friends on their monthly post of craft projects. I am thrilled to be joining the Creative Craft Hop.

This craft team posts on the second Tuesday of every month so be sure to check back here EVERY month for all of the fabulous new projects.

If you are joining me from BIRDZ OF A FEATHER, welcome! And if you are a returning friend, welcome back!! You will find all of this months newly created craft projects at the end of this post. We created these just for you!

A Proper Introduction!

HELLO!

Hello! I’m Suzanne. I owned an antique store, The Blue Building Antiques and Consignment, for 10 years, here in Alabama near Birmingham. We closed it in 2019. I have loved creating for as long as I can remember. I’m an only child and my oldest memories are of puttering beside my dad in his workshop in our Philadelphia home. I’m back to work full time now for a regional bank but I still dabble with this blog every chance I get. My passion is for furniture but really any kind of painting gets me going. I love a good challenge and transforming old items into beautiful focal points is one of my favorite things to do. Enough about me, let’s get on with today’s crat project – creating some fabulous Valentine ornaments.

Gather Some Valentines or Graphics

I started by gathering all of my favorite vintage love graphics. I suppose 50 ornaments will do but of course I will over plan.

I found some great graphics from the following sources:

The Graphics Fairy

And, honestly, I grabbed a bunch from Google. I carefully printed them to the size I needed on cardstock. This worked rather well

Since I planned on creating 50+ ornaments, I decided it was wise to purchase a circular paper cutter so I grabbed one from Amazon. It’s always nice for the menial tasks to move a little more quickly.

Supply List for Printable Valentine Ornaments:

• white cardstock paper
• home printer
• circle cutter
• thin craft brush
• medium stiff craft brush
• gold leaf/multi color foil
• gold leaf glue
• glue gun
• Christmas hooks
• glue sticks

Glitter can be kind of messy so I decided not to use the actual glitter. I decided to give gold leaf a try instead. So I ordered some gold leaf and glue. I grabbed a foil packet with multiple colors. My plan was to use the red, pink, silver and gold.

I saved a bunch of graphics from the internet and printed them on cardstock. Then I used my new circle cutter to cut them out.

I found so many great graphics!

This project would be fabulous using actual vintage greeting cards! I will have to try this with some of my parents’ old cards. Mom didn’t throw a card away!

There was a wonderful selection in colors for the gold leaf. Each piece of gold leaf was sandwiched between two pieces of wax paper. The leaf is very delicate. If you touch it with your fingers, it actually seems to almost disintegrate. So, I did practice a bit to gain confidence with the process. I followed the directions for apply the gold leaf (and the pink leaf, the red leaf, and the silver leaf).

I used a paint brush to paint the “gold leaf glue” along the edges of each circular ornament.

Then I laid the gold leaf onto the glue and patted it down with a firm bristled brush (actually a stencil brush).

After application, I used the brush to smooth out the leaf and distribute any excess leaf.

It went rather quickly once I got the hang of the process. I liked the way the gold leaf randomly stuck to the glue in some spots but not in others. If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I like randomness and distressing. So this was right up my alley.

I varied the colors of the metallic leaf trim. I used mostly red and pink and gold. But I did use some purple and some silver just to add some variety.

It really was fun combining the colors with the various prints.

So many variations!

After the ornaments dried for about an hour, I hot glued a Christmas hook to the back of each one.

I also used some of the pipe cleaners to edge a few ornaments.

But the metallic leaf was my favorite.

When I had a good number of ornaments, I added them to the tree.

I had created a good variety!

Puppies and kittens and angels.

How cute would green glitter St. Patrick’s Day ornaments be on a tree? Or patriotic Red, White, and Blue! I had better get busy.

Now I just need to get the mantle finished before the 14th!!

As promised, here are the team’s craft projects! If you are following in order, head over to visit Carol next at BLUE SKY AT HOME. Carol has a great little decoupage project for you!

Be sure to visit everyone over the next week! We certainly appreciate your support. And be sure to leave some comments as we would LOVE to know what you want to see next!

Crochet a Mini Hanging Planter (with Dollar Store Supplies!

Adorable Decorative Pillows

Decorative Cord and Mesh Placemat

Eyeglass Holder

Valentine’s Glitter Ornaments

How To Decoupage A Wood Box For Home Decor

Here are a few past Valentine’s projects:

The post Valentine’s Glitter Ornaments appeared first on Shop at Blu.

I am an only child so my parents entertained me quite a bit. When we weren’t playing games or in Dad’s workshop, I was seeking creative fun in all of the corners of our sweet Philadelphia home. I dug through closets, under beds, through sewing kits and cupboards. But my favorite quiet time was spent in Mom and Dad’s bedroom, perched on the end of their full sized bed sorting through Mom’s vintage jewelry box. Inside, I found the stories of Mom’s past. There were trinkets and memories. Each one had a history.

Years ago, in the ’80’s, Dad bought Mom a new jewelry box for Christmas. You know, one of those fancy wooden 1980’s taller jewelry boxes with the swivel carousel hook for necklaces and a fancy place to put your rings. Of course, I grabbed Mom’s old vintage jewelry box. Because I was documenting stories of my own.

Like those once gleaming pieces of jewelry, Mom’s vintage jewelry box has seen better days. Today is the day she gets her makeover. And, if we are talking renew, upcycle, and refresh, that means it’s time for this month’s Thrift Store Decor Team projects.

If you are new to Blu or the TSDT, we are a group of 9 creative bloggers who focus on the upcycle, repurpose, and reuse of older or previously used items. At the end of this post, you will find all of the other team projects. We share our posts on the second Wednesday of the month. This is our first post of the NEW YEAR! And we have some bloggers joining our fabulous group! What new skills will we share this year?? Tools, products, DIY skills and fabulous tips are our favorite. Hope to see you as a regular visitor. You can sign up for an email reminder at the top right side of this page! Let’s get to our project!

You see these vintage jewelry boxes at estate sales, yard sales, and flea markets. They are roomy and still the best way to store your jewelry. Mine will sit on a shelf filled with treasures when she has been restored.

Selecting a Finish

The Francophile in me loves loves loves marble. I didn’t want to paint this jewelry box so I decided to cover it. Dollar Tree had these removeable peel and stick wallpaper strips so I bought a few. Cheap, easy, and I think they will work.

The instructions are conveniently on the back and are very simple.

There is some damage to mom‘s old jewelry box. Somehow over the years, a corner of the top padding was actually ripped away. That is the part that is sticking up on the top.

The inside shelf is a bit wonky so I’ll need to repair that.

The interior is still lovely, for the most part. The beautiful Asian print on satin is just darling.

The velour is still a pretty aqua thought there are a few discolorations and some divots where weighty pearls and baubles have rested over the years. Other than that, I think she’s in great shape.

The length of this wallpaper sheet was just a bit shy of the total width of the jewelry box.

I will use one whole piece of wallpaper for the top and piece it underneath, hoping to match the pattern. When piecing I will want to minimize the seams. So I will add those smaller pieces first. We will see if I have enough product to match the patterns perfectly. Cross your fingers! Here we go.

I took a piece of the wallpaper and basically laid it over each drawer, each side, the back and the top of the jewelry box. The plan was to apply each carefully measured piece onto the surface and fold over behind the door fronts, the back, and the entire the jewelry box.

I folded the paper along each edge essentially making a creating a new panel for each surface on the jewelry box. Since the wallpaper was just a little short in length, I started with the section that would go under the longest sides. I measured and cut carefully. I began to lay the pieces into shape.

I made my way around the Jewelry box peeling, sticking, wrapping, folding, and tucking the wallpaper into place.

I took special care to wrap the corners smoothly.

And I was careful to try to match the pattern when the wallpaper had to be pieced.

I did have to cut around the knobs and handles. But the process went pretty smoothly.

The beautiful decorative panel slipped off easily giving me access to the inside edges of the lid.

I used my handy dandy vintage Pampered Chef scraper to burnish the entire surface ensuring a secure bond of the wallpaper to the jewelry box.

And the decorative panel slipped right back into place once the wallpaper was installed.

And here she is with her new look!

I have to say I am quite pleased!

In this jewelry box, amidst the odds and ends, I found this little bracelet. When I was about 7 years old, my dad brought this home for me one day when he came home from work. My favorite color was purple. My heart is happy.

I also found a bit of my grandmother’s brooches.

And my great-grandmother’s watch bands. I had forgotten I had these!

Now to decide what she will hold long term. For now, she is in my jewelry vault, so to speak.

You can read about my vintage china cabinet turned giant jewelry box HERE.

My Repurposed Life Quilted Casserole Carrier Ideas Using Salvaged Fabrics

Our Southern Home Thrift Store Lamp Refresh with DIY Pleated Shade

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Stool Dupe that Looks Authentically Aged

Shop At Blu Mom’s Vintage Jewelry Box Makeover

Our Crafty Mom Heart Shape Paper Craft From Wrapping Paper Roll

Songbird Rubber Stamp Storage Idea

Funky Junk Interiors Upcycled Ceiling Fan Blade Wall Mounted Coat Hooks

Exquisitely Unremarkable Adorable DIY Pin Cushions

Redhead Can Decorate My 91 Year Old Dad’s Thrift Store Living Room

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This time of year is always too busy! We are finally getting our Christmas decorations up and holiday shopping is in full swing. Our little group of fabulous creators always takes a small break from creating in December. So, our Thrift Store Decor Team monthly posts will be a round up of our favorite posts from this year.

You are in for a treat as we have some new team members this year! We’ve compiled our favorite thrift store finds just for you.

I thought I would lead off by sharing my bedroom in her full Christmas attire. While it’s not technically an upcycle project, all of the ornaments and accessories were found at thrift stores, consignment shops, and yard sales. I guess you would call this an accumulation of fabulous vintage and antique Christmas decor!

Here is the mantle that I restored a few years ago. I stripped several layers of paint off of this glorious 1800’s mantle to create a headboard. You can read about the restoration here.

I added some vintage Christmas ornaments and my MIL’s wooden thread spools. I might keep this up year round because…why not??? Oh, and velvet ribbon is a must!

Isn’t she just lovely??

And here is my King of Christmas Noble Fir. I had admired these stunning yet simple trees for quite some time. The tree is beautiful undecorated.

But she just sparkles with these Shiny Brights and vintage ornaments.

It will take me a few more years to collect even more ornaments to really fill up those branches. But I am certainly up for the challenge.

Our Thrift Store Decor Team tour today is a sharing of our favorite posts from our team members from throughout the year. You will find posts from some of our newest team members. When I say you will be thrilled to get to know them, believe me. They are amazing. We do have some team members who are skipping this month because…well, life this time of year is quite hectic and sometimes, you just have to slow down and enjoy the season. Be sure to check back for January’s team posts and we are all exited for the new year and new projects.

Meet the Team!

GAIL

First up is Gail from My Repurposed Life. Gail is a wiz with power tools. If you need it built, Gail is your gal. This year, Gail bought some property with some friends and has been creating her country hideaway. I’m so excited for her to be realizing a dream. And she did not miss a step in continuing to share her amazing projects. If you are looking for ways to upcycle items on a budget to fill a living space, you have found the source.

While any of Gail’s makeover projects are incredible, I select this drop leaf table. She always finds practical items that anyone would find valuable.

In most of her projects, Gail teaches you how to repair furniture, prep and paint, and basically how to breathe life into a seemingly way-too-worn furniture item. From replacing screws, to repairing legs to building something fabulous, Gail is full of knowledge to share. You are even guaranteed an introduction to various DIY products in a single post. So check out this project and scroll through the blog, you will be fascinated by Gail’s skills.

KRISTIN

Next up is Kristin from My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia. Kristin is one of our resident decor experts. Give her a toothpick, some felt, and a bag of anything and Kristin will literally MacGuyver you a spectacular item for your home. She has a knack with colors and can walk you through any project. Curious about cutting glass? Check out Kristin’s blog. Want to make a spoon ring? Yep, Kristin lays it out.

This was a beat up, paint peeling mess. Kristin turned it into a keeper. An added bonus with this project is you get some tips on using resin.

And just because why not…she did another.

Lookout Stanley, Kristin is sharing the secrets to a thrifty substitute. You will definitely find a project that will excite you on Kristin’s page. Get over there, pronto!

KIM

Kim at Exquisitely Unremarkable is anything BUT unremarkable. You’ve all seen your share of the repurposed and upcycle thrift store lamp. But this one is fabulous with the colors that Kim selected and the eye she has for staging.

Perhaps the most difficult part of upcycling is merging your fabulous creation into your living space. Kim does this with ease and just watching her technique is simply inspiring.

Check out how Kim takes simple thrift store finds and transforms them into what appear to be timeless treasures! I love the cottage feel in her pages. And I can’t wait to see more projects in 2026.

CHRISTY

While we are on the subject of thrift store lamps, Christy from Our Southern Home is another of our decor experts. Have you been wanting to try that bleach technique on your wooden furniture? Wonder how Rub ‘n Buff works? Did you find a fabulous lamp at the thrift store that needs to be rewired? Christy will show you.

You don’t have to completely revamp an old lamp. Just change what you don’t like. But if you do need to rewire, Christy will tell you how. Polish, shine, paint, etc. Keep the integrity of the piece but adapt it for your home. This is where Christy shines. How about that lampshade??!!

Want to sharpen your decorating skills? You will find those tips on Christy’s page. Take this gallery wall for instance…a must read! Get scrolling to see all of the skills you need to learn!

The feature of these thrift store finds really highlights the talents on this team. Grab an everyday thrift store find and the team will offer you several ways to transform it for practical use in your home. Each team member has a different style, but the skills and creativity are strong and always inspiring. Learn some new skills! Check out some new tools! Enjoy an introduction to new products! And enjoy the inspiration!

Here are our favorite posts from the team from 2025.

Be sure to leave some comments and let us who what you like and what you want to see. We love your comments and value your suggestions!

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Did someone say THRIFT STORE? Let me hear it…UPCYCLE! Those words can only mean it is the second Wednesday of the month and time for the Thrift Store Decor Team monthly projects!

I have to admit that I am a little giddy this month. We have some new members joining us. And, I’m gonna say it, though it might sound creepy, I just know that you will all understand…I’m girl crushin’! These new gals to the team were seriously some of the creators that I would follow with awe and fascination back when I started to blog. Yikes! It’s been a minute but they are as fabulous as ever!

Welcome to Donna from Funky Junk Interiors, Kim from Exquisitely Unremarkable, and Julie from Redhead Can Decorate. I’m so grateful for this team and all of the past members. Creating is really a fabulous world and the blog world offers the best of the best. As we all evolve, we get to share on different platforms and graduate to new highs. We are all just living our normal lives. We have the same normal challenges of making a living, enjoying our families, starting jobs, leaving jobs, caring for family member, losing family members, raising families, becoming empty nesters. You know…all of the major life stuff. But we are impassioned by creating.

Beyond the actual process of creating, my most cherished part of this blog world is meeting new friends and making new connections. I am so elated that you are all joining us. I’m talking to our 3 new creators and TO ALL OF THE NEW FRIENDS WHO ARE JOINING US TODAY and, of course, to my devoted readers who help keep this little blog going!

WELCOME TO THE FABULOUS THRIFT STORE DECOR TEAM!!! We are going to have so much fun together!! I’m beyond glad and grateful that YOU are here! Can’t wait for you to see what magic happens in this community.

HELLO!

Hello! I’m Suzanne. I owned an antique store, The Blue Building Antiques and Consignment, for 10 years, here in Alabama near Birmingham. We closed it in 2019. I have loved creating for as long as I can remember. I’m an only child and my oldest memories are of puttering beside my dad in his workshop in our Philadelphia home. I’m back to work full time now for a regional bank but I still dabble with this blog every chance I get. My passion is for furniture but really any kind of painting gets me going. I love a good challenge and transforming old items into beautiful focal points is one of my favorite things to do. Enough about me, let’s get on with today’s project – the upcycle of this antique mahogany side table.

Upcycling Vintage Beauties

I’m sure you’ve all seen an old vintage side table like this. Maybe it was round like this one that I previously upcycled.

Maybe the side table was made of oak like this radio table.

We’ve all seen those old tables with great bones that just look sad and worn. When I see one that speaks to me, I feel compelled to grab it and give it new life. Much to Mr. Blu’s chagrin, these project pieces sit a while in our garage while life happens. But, I’m cleaning out corners and making space. So, you can count on some more of these reinvented projects in the future. And today, we are working on the mahogany side table upcycle.

To Paint or Not to Paint!

The big decision when working on old furniture pieces is always DO I RESTORE or DO I PAINT? So many people have so many opinions and I’m sure you’ve read the comments. When I had my store, it was easy. If someone brought me a piece of furniture and said “Paint it!”, I painted it. That was so easy. But when it was my piece, I found myself stuck. I finally realized that I was in the business to make money so if the piece was easy to restore, I would do that. If it was a piece that would take too much time and resources to restore, I would paint it. If it was a beautiful solid wood piece with little damage, I would restore. But as the number of these pieces dramatically diminishes and pieces are really damaged, I find my self wanting to restore which can take hours and hours of effort. You will never be compensated for that time because, let’s face it, folks want a good buy for a great price. So, I generally reserve the full restoration for sentimental pieces.

So this one was a quanumdrum for me. I saw the beauty. But she had so many issues.

Normal scrapes and dings and scratches covered this piece. There was not a single spot that didn’t look worn.

Burn marks on the leather.

As well as other damage to the top including the leather ends peeling.

So, I decided to paint. Don’t hate me. She will still be beautiful.

The Design Process

Honestly, this is sometimes the most difficult part of a project. I tend to put too much thought into colors and finishes. Should I go with a Mahogany wash to continue the authenticity of the piece? Blue wash because…well…it’s me and blue is always a priority. Or something that blends with the mint-ish green room where she will live? A watermelon accent color like that vintage table I upcycled, loved and just sold? A new accent color like a vibrant purple? Yikes.

Inevitably, the piece tells me what to do and in this case, she spoke loudly. The decision still shocks me. As I started to clean and prep her, it became clear that she is in much better shape than I had thought. Every issue was simply a surface issue. The legs and shelf were sturdy. No major dings or gouges. Just a bunch of finish issues.

Dang. Grab the stripper. She’s going to be restored.

FIRST STEP TO FURNITURE PREP

First step is always to clean and prep your piece. This girl had been in storage for years so a good bath of warm water and Dawn removed the grime.

I set her in the sun to dry.

The leather inlay top had two small burns and various discolorations.

I let the leather soak with some water for about 15 minutes and then tested to see if the spots seemed removeable.

No good. This would not be a quick fix. I could possibly dab with some stain to marble the top thus muting or possibly making the stains. But then I noticed the end peeling.

I decided to remove the leather.

Fear not, I am saving it (you know I salvage everything). This will make a great future project on how to restore and reuse leather.

In the meantime, looks like the project got a little more complicated as now I have to decide how to finish the top.

I grabbed the stripper and got to work.

SUPPLIES

• Kleen Strip
• paint brushes
• rags
• sandpaper
• steel wool, both coarse and fine
• scraper tool
• rubber gloves
• safety glasses, always protect your eyes.
• trash can
• newspaper to cover the floor of your work area

My Safety Speech

Always wear safety glasses to protect your eyes. Splashes occur when you lease expect them

Always wear thick rubber gloves to protect your skin when handling chemicals. Chemical burns are not fun.

Always work in a well ventilated area. I strip my furniture in my driveway.

Place newspaper on the floor under and around your furniture piece. Floors and work spaces need protection too.

Tips for Removing Stain

The best tips for using stripper…

• Be patient.
• Wear gloves and safety glasses.
• Don’t rush the process.
• Keep the area loaded with stripper.
• Allow the chemicals to work.
• Scrape, reapply, scrape, reapply.

2 hours later, the old stain was removed (sort of…see next paragraph).

In the interest of not repeating posts, here are a few more detailed posts on restoring wood and removing stain. These posts list all of my best tips,

She Spoke and I Listened

For a minute, I considered changing the stain color to something more contemporary, like a light wash. But, I have other antique mahogany pieces in my living room and bedrooms so I decided to stay strong and preserve the integrity of this beauty.

Remember I said, I often let the project piece guide me? Well, it happened…yet again. I had a plan and as I worked the plan, the plan changed.

As I proceeded through the stripping process, I actually liked the stained wood beneath the thick old top coat. I decided NOT to re-stain, but rather leave the wood as is. This provided a lighter wood color and the existing stain really brought out the beauty of the mahogany wood. So I simply sealed the wood after the oldest top stain had been mostly removed. In this process, I removed the old gummy stain. But I stopped shy of completely stripping ALL of the stain from the wood. The wood was so beautiful.

I mean, gorgeous! Why strip it completely when this is so lovely as is??

Right??? My project time was just cut in half! Whoohoo! Stripping is so labor intensive and takes so long. I’m celebrating! I sealed the wood with a nice coat of General Finishes Top Coat, made for wood.

Moving on to the Top

Knowing that I will want to restore that leather top and eventually re-install, I resisted the desire to create a faux marble inset with resin. I topped off a sweet little plant stand with a faux marble resin finish and she is just lovely.

Instead, I chose to go the easy route and faux paint the inset to look like marble.

Creating a Faux Marble Finish

I started with one coat of white paint. I used simple craft paint that you can find in the craft section at Walmart – Folkart multi surface acrylic paint, because I am out of my favorite white furniture paint, Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint.

The white was a little bright so I applied another coat with ivory.

Much better. I dabbed some white here and there to create some texture. Then I blended the paint by drybrushing across the dabs of white.

Next, I used a skinny art brush to draw some veining.

Use a sponge or rag or brush to blot the area muting the veining. Practice first if you are nervous. I’m more of a wing it and react creator. Do what works for you.

Keep blending, adding veining and repeating until you have the desired look.

Not bad, right? Seal the top with some polyurethane. MinWax Polycrylic is my go to.

How about that bright beautiful wood??!!!!

She looks great indoors by the window where the light hits that beautiful woodgrain.

She had a nice surface area for a lamp, candle, book, plate, or whatever.

And a little shelf for other whatnots or books.

I’m so glad I didn’t take the easy road an just paint her. She’s fabulous again!

Revamp a Lamp
Our Southern Home

Old World Santa Christmas Tray
Our Crafty Mom

Salvaged Jewelry Suncatchers
My Repurposed Life

IKEA Secretary Desk Makeover
Exquisitely Unremarkable

Mahogany Side Table Upcycle
Shop At Blu

Beautiful Thrifted Thanksgiving Tablescape
Redhead Can Decorate

DIY Christmas Bells
Songbird

Fry Pan, Tiered Tray, and Decorative Bowls
Funky Junk Interiors

Gingerbread Village from Christmas Houses
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

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