home decor

These past few months it feels as if life has been going a million miles per hour.  I know most of you can relate to that; life seems to speed up immensely the older we get!  It seems as if there is never a moment to spare around here!

That constant activity was starting to leave me feeling run down, so my kids’ spring break came at the perfect time.  We took a few days and visited my mom in Wisconsin, and the change of scenery was just what I needed!  Taking a break and letting myself relax did me a world of good, and I came back ready to buckle down with a refreshed spirit.

Because of that, I felt inspired to make a pretty, free printable to remind us to take time to refresh and renew. 

It truly is transformative!  Treating yourself to even the smallest kindnesses can make a world of difference in your outlook and ability to tackle whatever is facing you.  Go for a drive, take a walk, or sit in the sun.  You’ll feel better.

If you’d like a copy of this Be Transformed Printable, which is free for personal use, please click right here to download it!  Simply print at home or at a local print shop, and trim to fit an 8×10 frame.  
Remember to be gentle with yourself! Take time to rest and relax once in a while, and come back stronger than you were before.
Bre

Even if it doesn’t feel like it where you live, spring is here!  We made it through winter (thank goodness!), and now it’s time to bring some spring vibrance and freshness into our homes.  And what could be better than doing that with some creative indoor planter ideas?  Any of these awesome projects – all of which were shared at The DIY Collective Link Party (every Thursday beginning right here at 5:00 am central) in the month of March – will help you feel like spring has arrived, no matter where you are!

If you’d like directions on how to make any of these indoor planters, please click through to find the full tutorials for each project!  Then get to work bringing the outdoors in, and feel renewed and refreshed!

Florist Bucket Transformation via Shabbyfufu  

Rustic Farmhouse Mason Jar Planter via Making it in the mountains.  

Vintage Tins and Cactus Planters via The Coconut Head’s Survival Guide  

DIY Marble Succulent Pots via DIY Passion  

Teacup Planters via Nourish and Nestle  

Eggshell Planter via The Everyday Home  

Mini Moss Ball Terrariums via Stacy Risenmay Not JUST a Housewife  

Rustic Succulent Centerpieces via Love Create Celebrate  

DIY Magnetic Succulent Planter via The Crazy Craft Lady  

Aren’t these indoor planter ideas so creative?  They definitely have me feeling like I need to bring some more green into my space!

– Bre

If You Liked This Post, I Bet You’ll Like This One, Too!  

DIY Faux Copper Planters

Whether you’re a thrift store novice or a secondhand decorating pro, this compilation of thrift store decor essentials is a must have!

My younger self would never believe that my older self is saying this, but the thrift store is where it’s at for home decor essentials!

If you’re not already a believer, trust me and take a few trips to different thrift stores in your area and see what I mean. There are so many home decor basics to buy at the thrift store, and your wallet will thank you every time you shop there instead of somewhere else!

So what are the best home decor items to keep an eye out for while shopping the thrift store? Here’s my list of the top 8 home decor essentials to pick up secondhand.

Thrift Store Decor Essential No. 1: Baskets

Every thrift store I’ve ever gone to is overflowing with baskets! Every shape and size you can imagine. And they are SO cheap!

If you don’t like the exact look of the ones you find, remember you can always change the color with a chalky paint wash or spray paint, add a pretty liner, or dress them up with some cool hang tags or labels.

Look how I updated flat rattan baskets with spray paint and turned them into beautiful wall decor!

Thrift Store Decor Essential No. 2: Dishes & Glassware

Get that “collected over time” look instantaneously by picking up a random collection of dishes and/or glassware at the thrift store.

Hang mixed and matched plates on the wall, display milk glass in a china hutch, or set out a pretty vintage tea set on a table. The prices on these items are unbelievably low!

I thrifted colorful plates and glassware to style the open shelving in my new DIY Snack Bar, and saved a ton of money by doing so!

Secondhand Decor Essential No. 3: Furniture

At most thrift stores, furniture is priced so much less than you will find it on Facebook Marketplace or other resale websites.

Granted, you may not want to buy a nasty old couch with worn upholstery, but quality wood furniture is a thrift store staple.

And, it can almost always be quickly and easily refreshed with some wood polish or some coats of paint.

If you need some furniture painting ideas, be sure to check out my Painted Furniture Gallery!

Thrift Store Decor Essential No. 4: Picture Frames

The thrift store is a treasure trove of picture frames, and they usually range in price from .99 to $3. That is SO much less than you pay in a regular store!

If they don’t match the decor look you’re going for, spray paint them or give them a gilded look with some Rub ‘n Buff, one of my favorite tricks! That’s just what I did for the Practically Free Gallery Wall I created in my basement!

You may even find framed artwork that you love!  I even like to do thrift store art makeovers.  Keep an eye out for paintings that you can use as-is, or update to your taste!

Thrift Store Decor Essential No. 5: Wooden Accessories

You can find almost any wooden home accessory at the thrift store! From candle holders, to crates, to storage containers – it’s all there.

As with other home decor items at the thrift store, a fresh coat of paint can turn any of these wooden accessories into beautiful accents for your house!

I transformed a thrifted wooden crate into a cute herb planter for my kitchen and it was so easy and adds a ton of charm!

Secondhand Decor Essential No. 6: Lamps and Lighting

So many lighting choices at the thrift store! They’re usually pretty ugly, if I’m being perfectly honest, but they can be given a whole different look with a pretty new shade and some spray paint.

I scored some beautiful lamps at Goodwill and gave them an updated look with shades from Target!

Make sure to test any lights out before leaving the store. You don’t want to purchase one that doesn’t work if you can’t (or don’t know how to) repair it easily.

Thrift Store Decor Essential No. 7: Serving Trays

Apparently people who donate things to thrift stores do not like to use serving trays. There are always a ton of them there! Sometimes they’re beautiful silver serving trays . . .

and other times they’re kind of ugly (like the one pictured below).

But, as you guessed it, you can beautify any ugly ones with paint, or even by decoupaging paper or fabric to them and using waterproof Mod Podge.

If you paint or decoupage a serving tray, make sure the supplies are food safe if you plan on serving anything edible on the trays. If they’re just for decoration, that’s not an issue.

Secondhand Decor Essential No. 8: Books

Books are a fabulous home decor essential! Use them to fill gaps in your bookcases, to add height to a table vignette, or to make yourself appear more educated than you are (lol).

I stocked up on awesome home decor and design books at the thrift store and used them to add color and interest to my shelves, television stand, and coffee table.

You can also cover books in pretty paper or fabric for an added pop of color or pattern.

So there you have it – my list of eight home decor essentials to buy at the thrift store. Do you buy any of these things there? What would you add to the list?

As part of my son’s Vintage Airplane Bedroom Makeover last spring, I printed out some patent drawings for various airplane-related things and hung them on the wall over his bunk beds.  They were a perfect industrial touch for his bedroom, and the best part is that they were FREE!  Patent illustrations of any invention make amazing frame fillers, so I thought it would be fun to share with you how to find free patents for DIY art of your own!  

Guys, it seriously is the easiest thing!

First up, go to Google Patents and enter the subject matter you’re looking for into the search box.  In this example, we’ll use “airplane.”
Once Google has brought back all of the patent documents that relate to your subject matter, you can set some search limitations on the left-hand side of your screen.  You can see that I limited the time period to those patents that were published before 1940.  That’s because I was going for a vintage look.

You may also want to limit your results to the country from which the patent originates (“Patent Office” field), the language of the patent (“Language” field), and/or the status of the patent, specifically whether it’s been already granted as opposed to only in the application phase of issuance (“Filing Status” field).

After you’ve browsed through the search results, decide which ones you’d like to use as art and download the PDF on the right-hand side of your screen. It is seriously THAT easy! Can you believe it?

I displayed mine on flat canvases because they’re right next to a bunk bed, but you could display yours any way you like!  In frames, blown up as large-scale art, decoupaged onto canvases – the possibilities are endless!  

So what do you think?  Will you be searching for patents to use as DIY art anytime soon?  If so, I’d love for you to pin this post to Pinterest so you can remember to come back for this tutorial later!  

Happy searching!

-Bre

If you like DIY art, you may also enjoy these posts!

Super Easy Plywood Poster Frame  

DIY Boutique-Style Picture Frame  

So . . . the gallery wall trend is still going strong and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to let up anytime soon.  If you haven’t jumped on the gallery wall bandwagon yet, you probably should.  I mean, everyone else is doing it, right?

No, but seriously, I love gallery walls.  I think they’re an amazing way to showcase a wide variety of things that are meaningful to you and your family, and you can get as creative as you want with them!  Because they require so many pieces, however, they can get pretty pricey to put together!  But lucky for you, I just finished a gallery wall in my basement, and I’ve got lots of tips on how to save a bunch of cash and make a practically FREE gallery wall!   [Read more…] about How to Make a Practically Free Gallery Wall