Monday, July 2, 2012

Creatively Thrifting

A year ago, I would not imagine myself completely addicted to thrifting.  But, here we are...I love finding deals.  I love finding homes for discarded items and I love thinking outside the box for these items.  Most of the time, the items I locate require some work with paint, cleaners, re-working, etc.  Every now and then, the thrifting angels smile upon me and it is only a matter of making it happen.

This weekend my mother, a friend and myself set out for thrifting following my triangulation scheme of preferred stores.  At Goodwill, I located some iron items that seemed fit for my Tuscan inspired dining area. 


I currently have a beautiful, large mirror from my great-grandmother's house in the dining room, but some adornment would work wonders.  Some beautiful ironwork would be a great offset to the gold, but can be pricey.

As luck would have it...there were some plant holders in iron for $3 a piece at Goodwill.  Also, nearby I located some iron candle holders that I envisioned to round out the look of my adornments.  These were $2 each.  So, my thoughts take me to getting a great look for $10 without additional work.

I cleaned the pieces up with soap and water and got to making my vision happen.  The cashier at Goodwill informed me the pieces were for plants.  I told her I needed them for wall decor.  She stared at me a moment and then said, "Well, if you are creative, that could work."  The gauntlet was thrown down in that moment!


Votives are the missing element here.  I picked up 6 for .50 each at Walmart.  They did not fit quite right and I have another candle piece with Amber votives that work perfect.  I traded the amber votives from the other piece with the new votives from Walmart.  Voila!  There is light and ambience that matches the intended look.



I love putting my own touch on the items as I redress my house, but sometimes it is nice when they just fall into place.  A little creativity and this wall is complete.  I can't believe anyone wanted to just use the top pieces as plant holders.  I was shocked those were the purpose as I only saw them in the space as decor.

To each their own.  As long as you follow whatever may be "your own" there will be success in your endeavors.

6 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for linking with Wednesdays Adorned From Above's blog Hop. I love what you did with the wall.
    Debi
    www.adornedfromabove.com

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the opportunity and glad you liked it. I was pleasantly surprised.

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  2. Very pretty :o)
    Thanks for sharing!
    Stacey of Embracing Change

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  3. Wow, it's amazing how a few simple things can liven up a space. Looks great!

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