Thrifty Finds

At a thrift store in downtown I found a vintage Daher tin for only .25 cents. As I love all things blue this little tin immediately caught my eye. Taking a closer look I saw it was stamped on the bottom.

Later I stopped at Ross and in the clearance section I found these terrific metal keys for  a $1.49.

I also found this cool mirrored soap dispenser also for only $1.49.

After Christmas Steals

I stopped in Hobby Lobby the other day looking for some fabric and found these fabulous Christmas stocking hangers on clearance at 90% off! They retail for $24.99 each, but I was able to snag them for only $2.50 each! I love the style of all three but am not crazy about the gold finish on the two end ones. I sense a new finish coming on!  By the way, I also found some fabulous fabric which I will photograph and upload in a later post.

Shabby Chic Topiaries

I had found these topiaries with some Christmas decorations at an estate sale a few months ago for a $1 each.  I liked the topiaries but not their gold color so I painted them white and added a brown glaze.  I think they fit into my shabby chic decor much better now. What do you think?

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Sweet Little Gals

Kammys Korner

Estate Sale Weekend Finds

 I've been trying to avoid yard sales because I have to many unfinished to do projects. However  on my way to the Library, what did I spy but an Estate Sale sign. I just couldn't pass that up.

It turned out to be mostly Christmas items, but I did manage to find a few interesting items for only $1 each. I really liked the shape and height of the above pictured shelf and you know I am always looking for unique storage pieces, so of course I snatched it up.

I am also a huge fan of metal wall hangings and I loved the textured finishes on these. With a little paint, these will make beautiful shabby pieces.

The next piece I grabbed was this traditional looking Grecian style planter. I'm not a fan of the gold, but love the shape and the detailing. I see more paint in my future.

Seeing these topiaries really got me in the Christmas spirit. I didn't really need any of them, but I think after a little paint and antiquing, they will really add something special to my holiday decor. The trees are already silver and sparkly, so I might actually leave them as they are (gasp).

All in all, not a bad haul for a few dollars. I can't wait to spruce these items up and see how they turn out. I'll keep you posted.

Kitchen Canisters Makeover

                                                         BEFORE

I had been searching for a set of white canisters for my kitchen, and found a set of two, like the green one pictured above, at a local yard sale for only $1. I knew that with a little paint, I could transform them from their current Appalachian Christmas motif into some fabulously shabby chic kitchen decor.

I'm glad I decided to go ahead and snatch them up, because a a couple of weeks later, I found the exact same two canisters at Goodwill with an asking price of $6 for the set, which I certainly wouldn't have paid.

I have painted ceramics before using spray primer and paint, but I have heard a lot about Krylon Fusion spray paint, so I decided to try it for this project. Although it stated that this product could be used on glass and ceramics, I wasn't very happy with the results. The paint ran very easily and it took an entire can just to paint the two canisters (and it could still use another coat).  I had to sand the runs out. It was a very labor intensive project and it didn't need to be. I don't think I will be using the Fusion spray paint again.

I am happy with the overall look of the canisters and don't you think they look one-hundred times better white? I sure do!

I'd also love to hear about anyone else's experiences using Krylon Fusion spray paint?

Curbside Rescue Makeover

Can you believe someone set this little table out for trash pickup?  They just didn't see it's potential.  I admit it looked pretty rough when I rescued it, but all it needed was some TLC and a litttle paint.

I'm really excited about this find because older pieces typically are better constructed and have more intricate detailing than newer furniture.  I love the way the ASCP creates an authentic aged look on older furniture, and it sounds amazing to work with. However it doesn't fit into my budget so I needed to sand and prime before painting.

I spray painted the legs with Rust-oleum's Heirloom White and then rolled Behr's Country White satin on the flat surfaces. To better protect the finish I applied 2 coats of  clear paste wax.

What a difference a little paint can make, wonder if its previous owner would want to "kick it to the curb" now?

Roadside Finds

As I was driving through my neighborhood, I came across these wonderful finds that a neighbor had set out for trash pick-up in my neighborhood. I couldn't believe my luck that someone else wanted to throw these items away. Couldn't they see their hidden potential?

The first item is a wooden child's chair. I'm thinking that I might paint it and cut a hole in the seat and use it as a planter. What would you use it for?

The second item, an antique water fall chest, didn't appear to be in the greatest condition. The drawers wouldn't shut, the sides of the drawers were displaced and lying in the bottom drawer, and the back panel was lying on top of the chest.

While I was trying to decide if I could save the chest or not, my neighbor came out to tell me that I was more than welcome to either piece if I would just haul them off. I told her I could do wonders for the aesthetic of the piece with some paint and a little elbow grease, but that I wasn't as confident about my carpentry skills. In a unique twist, she then proceeded to volunteer her husband to repair it for me, and then deliver it to my house. She followed up by saying that she wanted to see it when I finished with it. I was a little dumb-founded why she hadn't just had her husband fix it to begin with. But, regardless of her reasons, I am grateful.

I think this chest will be my biggest challenge yet. It still needs a lot of TLC but I am willing to give it a shot and see if I can transform it. It will have to wait awhile though, I have several  other  projects I need to to get finished first.

Yard Sale Finds

I have been plagued with woes over the last few months. Besides my usual back pain and sciatica issues, I also suffered a broken toe, all of which severely limited my thrifting and other activities. However, last Saturday I just couldn't stand it so I ventured out to a community yard sale near by. Don't you just love those? So many wonderful bargains in a centralized location!

I am so glad I went as I found lots of great things. My total cash spent for the day was around $25 and I came home with a car load full of treasures!  Check out all of the fab finds I got for only $1 or less each!

I found these fabulous matching Peir 1 metal picture frames.

I couldn't resist this small white metal rack. It will make a perfect rack to hang some of my favorite necklaces on.

I also grabbed up 6 of these wooden shelf brackets. Now I can put those shelves up in the guest room. They just need a coat of paint and a little shabby chic love.

I also snatched up 6 hardback books, including 3 decorating books. And yes that is a cookbook on top.

I love this neutral colored textured candle holder.

I also found 2 folding chairs. They look a little worse for wear, but they are sturdy and will look great after I give them a little well-needed TLC. They were $2 each.

I also found a solitary white canister for $.50. I wish there had a been more.

For $.25, 2 colored bottles to go on my kitchen shelf.

Aren't these things awesome!! I think I'll do another post with the rest of my fabulous yard sale finds, so stay tuned.

Decorative Accents for the Kitchen ~ Wall Art

A friend of mine was cleaning out her garage and was getting rid of this oak floor grate, so I grabbed it. Free is always good. I loved the architectural design and I knew a  little white paint would create the shabby chic look I love.

This was a very easy makeover. I simply painted it with Rustoleum's Heritage white spray paint and sanded it with a medium grade sand paper to give it a distressed look.

Here it is proudly displayed on the wall of my newly organized kitchen shelves.

 

$3 Cookbook Display ~ Kitchen Storage Solution

I absolutely love my recent kitchen shelf makeover. I now have the extra cabinet space that I desperately needed. Since I removed my cookbooks from the shelves to make room for my dishware, I needed to come up with a creative storage solution for them as well.

As I was pondering how to display and store my collection of cookbooks, I couldn't help but ask myself why I have so many cookbooks in the first place when cooking is my least favorite thing to do? I guess it is possible that one morning in the near distant future, I will awaken as Julia Child reincarnated and start cooking up a storm, but probably not!! So I decided to go through them and only keep my absolute favorites since I have a very small galley type kitchen with limited counter space. The wheels began to turn...

...and I remembered that I had purchased a small hanging shelf at the local Goodwill store sometime last year. I'm always on the lookout for inexpensive storage solutions and even though it was painted pink and blue, it was well constructed and a steal at $2. So home with me it came and has been patiently waiting for some TLC to make it beautiful and useful once again. I knew it would be the perfect solution for my cookbook storage problem! I could place the shelf on the counter which would help keep my cookbooks clean and dry.

There was only one problem. The shelf was designed to be hung on the wall and the bottom "feet" of the shelf were curved not flat. Easy enough to fix! I simply measured and marked a straight line horizontally across the bottom of the side panel and then cut off a couple of inches with my Miter saw, taking off the curvature and resulting in a flat bottom edge! Voila! It would now sit flush on the counter.

The next thing to do was to get rid of the baby pink and blue color palette by transforming it with a little paint. A few weeks earlier I had bought an almost full gallon of Behr's paint in a light green glossy finish at a neighbor's yard sale for only $1. I thought that the color would go nicely with my kitchen's light turquoise walls so I lightly sanded the shelf and then added a coat of the new color and it looks wonderful.
Now half of my cookbooks have a new home, so the hunt is on for more cookbook storage.

I love the little shelf at the top where I can display my Aunt Ida's rolling pin and biscuit cutter that she used to make the most delicious, light and fluffy biscuits. There is also room on top to display my Mother's favorite salt and pepper shakers. Just having these items close by helps to make the space feel more inviting and who knows, maybe I will be a little more inspired now to cook more often!

Shabby Chic $1 Coffee Table Makeover

I needed a new coffee table and wanted one with a bottom shelf that I could use for storage (like the one pictured below from Bella Rose Cottage), and I wanted my table to have a Shabby Chic finish.

The problem was these beautiful coffee tables sell for around $220 which was definitely beyond my budget! So I made it my mission to to scour yard sales and thrift stores and find something as close as possible to refurbish.

I looked for months without success. Then finally, one Saturday morning I was on my way home from my regular weekend treasure hunting trip, when I spotted a yard sale sign I had missed earlier. It was late in the day and my first thought was that all of the "good stuff" would already have been snatched up. But thankfully, something drew me in and I stopped.

To my amazement, sitting there in a pile of marked down left over items was a small rectangular coffee table with a bottom shelf. I squealed with glee at my luck! I couldn't believe no one had snapped it up. Then again it was painted an ultra high-gloss, bright white and one of the legs had been stripped down to bare wood.

I put on my best bargaining face, expecting to have to jockey down the price, and approached the seller. I asked her the price and was shocked by her response! She told me that she just wanted rid of it and quoted me a firm  $1 sale price. I knew I could transform this eyesore into my "shabby chic" dream coffee table. So I happily paid her and took my treasure home.

I actually didn't need to do much to transform it. First, I sanded it with a fine grit sand paper to remove the high-gloss shine.

Then to ensure a Shabby Chic look, I distressed it by sanding all of the edges and raised areas with a medium grit sandpaper.

Next I antiqued it by applying Folk Art 'Woodn' Bucket Brown' Antiquing Medium (#817). You simply wipe on the antiquing medium with a clean cotton cloth, and then wipe as much or as little as desired until you get your perfect weathered, antique look.

For storage, I added some inexpensive baskets that I found at Wal-Mart.

So what do you think, wasn't that a $1 well spent?

To see more  my living room bargain makeovers check out  My under $200 fully decorated Centsibly Chic living room post.

Fabulous Goodwill Finds

One of my NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS was to complete several decorating "projects" that for various reasons had gotten placed on the backburner. However, because of my addiction to treasure-hunting and thrifting, instead over the past couple of weeks I have succeeded in finding new projects to add to that to do list.

I have been searching to no avail for a vintage chandelier for my bedroom. Well, I still haven't located that perfect one, however, I did find this wonderful candelabra at the local Good Will store for $2.00. It holds ten pillar candles and will be a wonderful source of ambient lighting on the desk I am PLANNING to paint and use as a nightstand. Now I just need to decide what color to paint it, hopefully before I go back to Goodwill.

Another fabulous find was these Dollar Tree photo frames. I absolutely LOVE the detailing of the appliques. I plan on painting them white and possibly antiquing them for a wonderfully distressed look. So Shabby Chic!!

My last little treasure of the week was this cute 2-drawer chest that I picked up for a mere .50. It will add a little extra storage for small items and will look great after a centsibly chic makeover.

So now that I have added three new small projects to my plate, I really have to get some of these finished so I have something to blog about next week. Stay tuned for the transformation. It begins now.......

Stenciled TV Cabinet Makeover

One of my favorite pastimes is searching for treasure. No, not buried treasure, but the troves of household treasures that long to be discovered at thrift stores, estate sales, and yard sales. They lie in wait buried underneath awful out-dated paint jobs, or nicked and scratched surfaces. All they need to return to their former glory is a little imagination and alot of TLC.

For example, this beautifully antiqued and stenciled television cabinet was a $35 thrift store find.

When I brought it home, it was battered and bruised. It was plain brown wood, had a few dings and scratches, and the doors were off-track and uneven. I nursed it back to health with some sandpaper and a little elbow grease, then transformed it  using paint, antiquing medium, and stencils.

Unfortunately, I was so anxious to get started on it that I failed to take a before picture, but I love how it turned out...just beautiful!

Fabulous Frugal Find: $5 Table Lamp

BEFORE

This striking table lamp is another one of my fabulous frugal finds. There is a Kirkland's pricetag on the bottom of $59, but I only paid $5 at a local yard sale. The lamp was in fairly good condition with only minor imperfections; however, it didn't come with a lampshade. I originally thought that I would leave this item as is but it was just too dark for my space.

In order to lighten it up and make it a little more Shabby Chic, I decided to paint the whole thing and give it a complete makeover!

First, I primed the base and body and taped off the cylindrical ball in the middle. I then painted the metal part with some Rust-Oleum, Heirloom white, satin spray paint, and the ball with a sage green craft paint. However I felt the green finish was too lackluster, so I then added a pearlized paint finish over the green and now it glistens under the light. I love the way it turned out but I am still scouting for the perfect lampshade.

AFTER

My Under $200 Fully Decorated Centsibly Chic Living Room

I just wanted to share some pictures from my Centsibly Chic home. Most of these pictures are in-progress photos that I took as I was decorating my living room, which the final project cost for the entire room was less than $200 (and YES that includes the furniture)!!

The white antique octogon shaped table was my aunt's, it had a dark finish before I painted it.  The metal lamp on it was a flea market find for $2 that I also painted white. The cute little candle holder was only $.75 at a yard sale.

       I                                                                   
                                       

The white wall plaque had a dark wood finish and the metal center was painted black
 was a splurge, I paid $10 for it. The white tin vase, another yard sale find was $2. The tall  item was gold  and the $.50 candle holder had a dark green finish. I used a spray primer on them before I painted them with Rust-Oleum Heirloom White spray paint.

The gorgeous floral oil painting is one that I purchased at a yard sale for only $2. It consisted of the canvas only and was missing a frame. The frame that you see here was FREE and salvaged from a broken mirror, and to my delight, was a perfect fit. Originally the frame had an outdated shiny gold metallic finish, so I primed it and painted it with Rust-Oleum satin Heirloom White satin spray paint. The frame already had mounting brackets attached, so I simply inserted the canvas in the frame and hung it on the wall.

The love seat in the next picture was also FREE, however it has a horrible large floral 80's print in blues and oranges, but the love seat itself was in great condition. So to update its look, I covered it with this soft green floral embossed-look slip cover that I found at a yard-sale for a mere $5!! What a bargain! To accent it, I then purchased some coordinating fabric remnants in a soothing green and yellow floral print at a local fabric outlet store for $4. I then covered the old matching blue and orange pillows. 

As you can see in the above photo, another fabulous find that I added as a room accent are these great candelabras. They were given to me by a friend who felt that they were outdated. This picture contains both the before and after look of the candelabras. As you can see, the gold finish was peeling off and did make them look very dated. To refurbish them, I sanded each item to remove the loose and peeling paint. Next I primed them and spray painted them to match the floral oil painting's new frame and added these sage green taper candles.

I then placed them on either side of the floral oil painting as accents.

My favorite piece in my living room however is my television cabinet. It was a thrift store find which I purchased for $35. It was in poor condition but was solid maple. Tho original finish was a medium wood-tone. The sliding doors were off track. It was heavily scratched and had a few minor dings. This project was much more labor intensive than the rest of my living room projects, but was so worth the effort and elbow-grease.

First I sanded all the exterior surfaces and repaired the door tracks. Then I primed and painted the entire piece. This was also my first stenciling project where I stenciled the elegant design on both doors with store bought stencils and craft paint that I got on sale at a thrift store for $2. Then I antiqued the piece with antiquing glaze. I then replaced the old dark gold knobs and drawer pulls with some that I already had, which I also painted and antiqued.

The tall candle holders on either side of the TV are actually lamp bases I found at the thrift store For $2 each.
  

Almost every single item in the picture above is a frugal find makeover project so I will include more of them in future posts.