Repurposed Rainbow Thriftscores- Swap It Like Its Hot 6
Psssst… this post *might* contain affiliate links: see my disclosure here.
You didn’t realize what day it was, did you?! It’s not quite as exciting as the after Christmas sale at Anthropologie or free cone day at Ben and Jerry’s, but it’s a dang fine day regardless: Swap It Like Its HOT!!!! A few years ago, I started this little thing with some blogging pals- we each mailed each other thrift store goodies to make over and post about. Today marks the SIXTH time for this rodeo and I cannot WAIT to see what everyone has been up to with their thrifted happy mail!
Steph from One Mile Home Style sent me a plethora of awesomeness. I’m always torn by my SWAP items between using them for something that could easily integrate into my home and being a little more eccentric and creative! I did a little bit of both this round! (Spoiler alert: I saved one for later so I wouldn’t make any rash decisions…)
Shop my favorites!
These candlesticks could have been used for SO many things… I considered mounting the horse to one of them and spray painting it, but that seemed too obvious.
Frames are usually something I love, but these were complicated *slightly* because the glass was literally embedded into the wood so I couldn’t remove it.
The dimensions of the candlesticks and the frames were identical so… I figured they’d make a nice sturdy frame for my new One Room Challenge shed perhaps! I’m not going crazy with color in the shed, but I did use some fun DecoArt chalky finish paint to makeover an old set of file drawers… so I decided to use the leftover paint for my SWAP makeovers! (Materials list at the end of the post!)
For the frames, I pulled the ‘suede’ off of the candlestick blocks and cleaned them up with my favorite de-gluer (affiliate). I found a combination of the remover and hot water with steel wool worked like a charm! Then I spray painted the candlesticks with my fave white paint (affiliate).
The ducks were easy to adios, but the stripes on the glass of the frame were actually painted on the glass and not a matte. So I grabbed the Goof Off (see above) and it easily came off. I wanted the actual frames to have a quasi-watercolor look to them (aka haphazard and sloppy) so I just slapped on stripes of paint by hand. I’m wondering if I should have been messier so it’s obvious this was an intentional choice and not just crappy painting?!
To attach the frames to the base… I used some mini-hinges. The plastic of the base was rigid enough that the screw started to split it, so I used my usual epoxy and glued it in place. I screwed the other side into the back of the wooden frame.
I taped a photograph to the back of one frame and thought the other could be a fun dry erase board to help me jot down dimensions or other quick measurements.
Moving onto the tray. I actually didn’t mind the tray as is… kitschy cool and all. But that’s no fun for you so… I gave it a little update. The DecoArt paint sticks to most things, so I gave the tray a once over with steel wool and then marked off a simple pinwheel pattern. I filled in the sections by hand, epoxied a washer to the back to act as a hook and hung it in the shed, waiting to be a useful magnet board!
Materials
(Affiliate links included for your shopping convenience)
• Adhesive Remover
• Spray Paint
• Mini hinges
• Paint (it comes in smaller containers… check your local craft store)
* The horse was amazing, and I got worried I’d do something impulsive, so I’m sitting on her and waiting for the right idea to strike. Until then, I’m trying to find just the perfect occasion for the last few drops of cologne left in the bottle. #fancy
Here’s what I sent to my blog bestie Bee from Windgate Lane. I sent her SUCH a random assortment of stuff, and these are the ones she made over. Cannot WAIT to see what she did with them!
And tune in all week to see what everyone else has in store!
MONDAY
TUESDAY
Confessions of a Serial Do-It-Yourselfer
Love it!! The colors of the pinwheel are so pretty! Great job as always!!
Thanks! The frames are a little silly, but what’s a gal to do. 🙂
I love the pinwheel tray. So bright and colorful!
Me too! Can’t wait to move in my shed and find a good spot for it!
This was so much fun Charlotte, thank you again for organizing this, I had a complete blast! I love how you combined the frames with the base of those candle holders, very clever! Your pinwheel magnet board is perfect for making sure you stay organized in that gorgeous work studio, it matches your filing cabinet so nicely. Excellent job!
THanks, girl! I always get a little carried away and end up with something a little cray, but I love the magnet tray… that will stick around! 🙂
Fantastic, love that color! Thanks as always for hosting and for encouraging me when I was about to throw in the plaster fish, I mean the “towel.” 😉
Haha! I can’t wait to see the stunners! Thanks again for joining in!
Thanks so much for hosting Charlotte! The bright colors will be so pretty in your new space! BTW, I could not resist that horse, it was too good to pass up!
I feel bad that I didn’t use it, but I choked! It’s SO good!!! A simple coat of spray paint seemed too easy… gold leaf? I’m still thinking. Thanks again for joining in!
Love the colors! The frames were a great idea! Can’t wait to see what fate awaits that horse (and the cologne – hubba hubba!)!
Heehee! I know! Aside from the aromatic je ne sais quoi…it’s a perfect shape!
I really love how your rainbow tray/magnet board turned out! And the hinges on the frames is such a clever idea! Thanks for organizing Round 6 (!?!?!!?) and including me in the fun 🙂
I know! Can you believe we’ve done so many?! Woot Woot! And thanks!
Your pinwheel is so cute!!!! It totally suits your style. Thanks for organizing all this, I know it’s not easy.
XO
Thanks, girl! Am I six? What’s the rainbow obsession these days?!
I actually dig that metallic plater before the paint job too!
Those little frames are super ingenious. Well done!!! I love the rainbow colours 🙂
Right? Kind of retro and cool! Ah, well… for the sake of a good rainbow! 🙂
I love that you are fearless with color! These all turned out super cute and functional! XO
Fearless OR foolish. 🙂 Haha. Thanks again for joining along!
Hi Charlotte! I love what you’ve done with your swap it items! I did one on my blog last year I think where some blogger friends and I exchanged thrifted items and made them over too. It was called “Thrift it, Gift it, Facelift it”, it was really a lot of fun!
I’m happy to “meet” you too, I don’t think I’ve been to your blog before! I see that you’ve signed up with Cassie Bustamante and I to make over the wooden peace sign, I’m excited, I think it will be fun!
Tania
Hi Tania! Yes! Nice to meet you too! I LOVE the peace sign idea! Already noodling through some options! Aren’t these swap things fun?! Something about getting a mystery item is the best! Excited for our November project!
Love the tray!!! Thank you so much for including me in this awesome opportunity! I had so much fun!
My pleasure! LOVE what you made with your stuff…Scrabble and pumpkins? Yes please!
So fun! Great job. I love the colorful magnet board! I’m having so much fun seeing everyone’s projects.
They’ve been really good this time around!
I love these kinds of challenges and have done a few myself. I love that you used lots of colors in your repurposed remakes….super fun!
Thanks so much, Erlene! It’s been fun for sure!